Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
800. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a redundancy liability will be waived in respect of a former retired employer in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15026/24]
View answerIt is an employer’s responsibility to pay statutory redundancy payments to all eligible employees. In the event that an employer is unable to pay due to financial difficulties, an application from the employer on behalf of an employee may be submitted to the Department for payment from the Social Insurance Fund. When a payment is made from the Social Insurance Fund, a debt for this amount is raised against the employer. The Department will make every effort to recover the debt owed to the Social Insurance Fund, in line with its debt management policy. Where the employer is a sole trader or partnership, the Department will engage with the individual to assess their current financial situation and their ability to repay the debt. Where appropriate, an agreed repayment plan can be put in place to minimise financial hardship; for example, the debt can be recovered by way of instalments over a period of time. I suggest that this individual should contact officials from my Department to discuss their current financial situation and their capacity to repay the debt. They can contact officials in my Department on 0818 111 112 (select menu option 5) or at debtmanagement@welfare.ie.
