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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 10 Oct 1996

Vol. 469 No. 7

Written Answers. - Redundancy Workers Assistance.

Mary Wallace

Question:

152 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the steps, if any, his Department will specifically take to assist the 200 members of the Irish Ferries workforce who are being laid off in November 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18209/96]

Employees who are laid off on a temporary basis are able to claim the social welfare benefits to which they are entitled. Under the redundancy payments scheme, operated by my Department, employees may be entitled to a redundancy payment from their employer if they have been laid off for a certain period (usually for four consecutive weeks). Such action does have the effect of terminating the employment contract. The employer has a right to give counter notice if there is a reasonable expectation that employees will, within four weeks of lodging their redundancy claims, enter on a period of at least 13 weeks' unbroken employment.

My Department does not propose to take any specific additional action to assist these or other employees who are temporarily laid off.

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