Vol. 556 No. 3
85 Mr. Kehoe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will be reviewing the redundancy payments with a view to increasing statutory redundancies to employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20291/02]
The report of the redundancy review group was published on 22 October. I am pleased that the group, which included representatives of employers, workers and Government Departments, reached agreement on a wide range of policy and administrative issues. In particular, the group reached agreement on the treatment of older workers, insurability requirements, ceilings on wages, qualification periods, determination of weekly pay, non-reckonable service, employees working abroad, fines and penalties and links between redundancy and training. Administrative issues that were agreed include the rounding of years of service, forms used in the administration of the scheme and the need for a new computer system. The Government has agreed to proceed with the implementation of these changes and my Department will prepare the necessary legislation to give effect to them. We will also plan for the introduction of a new IT system, which will include an e-government capability. This will, I believe, greatly improve the efficiency and level of service offered by the scheme.
Certain items were not agreed by the redundancy review group. These include the level of the redundancy ceiling, differentiation between those under and over 41 years, multiple of weekly pay, size of rebate to the employer and the provision of an enhanced statutory amount where employers fail or are unable to make statutory payments. The group has clarified the costs involved in these items, however, and the post-PPF negotiations which have commenced recently will benefit from the group's work in this regard and will be well informed regarding these costs.
