I propose to take Questions Nos. 800, 816 and 820 together.
Deputy Quill refers, in her questions, to redundancy payments due to former Irish Steel employees. There are no outstanding redundancy payments due to former employees of Irish Steel Ltd. All employees made redundant by Irish Steel Ltd. received their redundancy payments in full on leaving the company. The Deputy may have in mind the question of readaptation aid from the EU, under Article 56 (2) (b) of the ECSC Treaty. As the Deputies are aware, my Department received a communication from the EU Commission confirming that the Commission has approved grant aid, under Article 56 (2) (b) of the ECSC Treaty, amounting to ECU 376,806 for 194 workers made redundant in 1994-5.
The EU Commission has been advised that their pre-conditions for the release of the readaptation aid have been met, now that the State aid, which was approved by the EU, has been paid to the company on completion of the sale on 30 May 1996. My Department is seeking an early decision by the Commission, therefore, to release the readptation aid. My Department has also asked that this readaptation aid be paid to the eligible former employees in a lump sum. We await clarification from the Commission on these issues.