asked the Minister for Labour the average industrial wage as at mid-November for each year since 1967 to date, and the maximum part of the average industrial wage by reference to which the redundancy lump sum has been calculated.
Written Answers. - Redundancy Payments.
173.
Average industrial earnings as published by the Central Statistics Office for the December quarter of each year from 1967 were as follows:
|
1967 |
£13.04 |
|
1968 |
£14.45 |
|
1969 |
£16.10 |
|
1970 |
£19.12 |
|
1971 |
£21.70 |
|
1972 |
£25.27 |
|
1973 |
£30.41 |
|
1974 |
£36.78 |
|
1975 |
£48.21 |
|
1976 |
£58.34 |
|
1977 |
£66.28 |
|
1978 |
£66.50 |
|
(March quarter) |
From 1 January 1968 when the redundancy payments scheme came into operation to 31 March 1974 the redundancy lump sum was calculated by reference to a qualified redundant worker's normal weekly remuneration as provided for in the Redundancy Payments Act, 1967. In that period, non-manual workers with income above the limit for compulsory insurance under the Social Welfare Acts were excluded from the scheme. On 1 April 1974 these workers became compulsorily insurable and the scheme was amended at the same time to provide that a person's earnings in excess of £2,500 per annum—£48.08 per week—should not be taken into account in calculating redundancy payments. Subject to this ceiling, redundancy lump sums are calculated by reference to the redundant worker's normal weekly remuneration not exceeding £2,500 per annum.
174.
asked the Minister for Labour the number of redundancy weekly payments in payment on 15 January 1979, indicating also the number of (a) first time payments and (b) "resumed payments".
178.
asked the Minister for Labour (i) the average duration and (ii) the average weekly redundancy payments in respect of weekly payments which (a) commenced in 1978 and (b) recommenced in 1978.
179.
asked the Minister for Labour the number of weekly redundancy payments in payment on 15 January 1979; the amount of each of the three highest payments and the three lowest payments where the payments were (a) first time payment, and (b) "resumed" payment.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take Questions Nos. 174, 178 and 179 together.
The number of weekly redundancy payments in payment-week ended Wednesday, 3 January 1979, the latest week for which the information is available, was 2315. The three highest rates of payments in that week on the available information were £24.04, £24.03 and £24.00. The three lowest rates were £0.04, £0.06, £0.10. The average weekly redundancy payment in 1978 was £15.24.
As regards differentiation between "first time" and "resumed" payments and the average duration of payments, the compilation of such information would require a survey involving all employment exchanges and offices which would take a considerable time to complete and would be unduly costly.