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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 5

Written Answers. - Redundancy Payments.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

29 Mr. Quinn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when outstanding redundancy payments will be made to workers who lost their jobs as a result of the closure of a company (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9467/02]

Under the Redundancy Payments Acts, 1967-2001, all claims received with the exception of one on query by my Department in respect of entitlement to statutory redundancy payments have been paid to former employees of Irish Ispat Limited. The total paid, to date, under the scheme, is €2,032,722. Under the provisions of the Redundancy Payments Acts, 1967-2001, the amount owed to the social insurance fund by the company is €792,468 and this amount will rank as a preferential claim against any assets in the final winding-up of the liquidation proceedings.

With regard to the insolvency payments scheme, all claims received with the exception of one on query in respect of outstanding pay-related employee entitlements have been paid under the terms of the scheme. The amounts paid cover wages, holiday-pay, minimum notice compensation and some pension contributions claims received to date. The total paid to date under the scheme is €1,548,986 and under the provisions of the Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) Acts, 1984 to 2001, the total amount paid will rank as a preferential claim against any assets in the final winding-up of the liquidation proceedings of the company.
My Department has also paid matching funds of €3,000 per employee in relation to an application to the European Commission for re-adaptation aid under Article 56(2)(b) of the European Coal and Steel Community Treaty. A total amount of €1.362 million has been paid to date in matching funds which also includes payments of matching funds to some permanent on-site contract workers. The European Commission has advised me that it is in the process of transferring the re-adaptation aid funds to my Department for disbursement to the former employees and this is expected to happen shortly.
Question No. 30 answered orally with Question No. 8.
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