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Redundancy Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 March 2022

Tuesday, 8 March 2022

Questions (133)

Niall Collins

Question:

133. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on a matter and the mechanism that may be available to expedite cases (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12602/22]

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Written answers

I fully appreciate how difficult the situation is for those people who have been affected by redundancies in the case outlined. 

By law, it is the employer’s responsibility to pay statutory redundancy to eligible workers.  In situations where an employer is genuinely unable to pay statutory redundancy entitlements due to financial difficulties or insolvency, the State may make the statutory redundancy payments on the employer’s behalf from the Social Insurance Fund.

Negotiations on enhanced redundancy packages over and above the statutory entitlement are a voluntary matter between employers and workers, therefore the State has no role in this matter.

In the event of a dispute, the State provides the industrial relations dispute settlement mechanisms i.e. the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court, to support parties in their efforts to resolve their differences.  The responsibility for the resolution of industrial disputes between employers and workers rests with the employer, the workers and their representatives and the Government cannot intervene in the industrial relations process.

I can assure you that Government works in a coordinated way to assist any person who loses their job.   I understand that officials in the Department of Social Protection have held group information sessions and one-to-one phone meetings with the workers involved.  Officials will continue to advise further on supports for jobseekers with disabilities, including the EmployAbility service which is an employment and recruitment service that helps people who have a disability to secure and maintain employment.

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