asked the Minister for Labour if he is aware that workers recently made redundant at the mushroom plant at Carbury, County Kildare, have not yet received their redundancy payments; and the arrangements which are being made to have payments made.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Kildare Mushroom Plant.
9.
Statutory redundancy lump sums have been paid from the redundancy and employers' insolvency fund to 28 persons made redundant at the mushroom plant at Carbury between 30 April and 15 May 1986. Applications from two other persons were under query and it is hoped that payments can be made very shortly.
Further applications for payment of redundancy lump sums were received by my Department on 26 June 1986 from another 226 employees and there are, according to the receiver of the company, some more applications still to come. All applications for payment will be processed as quickly as possible by my Department. The best estimate that can be made is that payments will be issued within about six weeks.
Is the Minister aware that one of the reasons for the delay was that the employers offered sums way below the statutory obligation? Will all the employees who have applied for redundancy be paid together or will they be paid by dribs and drabs? Will the applications be processed in such a way that all these people will be paid at the same time?
It would not be suitable to make payments in dribs and drabs. The information available to me is that the payments will issue in about six weeks and I assume that will cover all outstanding redundancy claims, that is, the two under query and the 226 received since.
Would the Minister know the overall amount involved?
I do not have that figure.