asked the Minister for Labour when the new Bill to protect workers' rights in the case of redundancy is likely to be introduced in the Dáil; and in the case of a firm (details supplied) in County Westmeath, where 50 workers have now received notice, will this Bill apply retrospectively to them.
Written Answers. - Workers' Rights.
510.
I presume that the Bill to which the Deputy is referring is the Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) Bill, 1984, which was circulated on 21 May and which applies to insolvencies arising on and from the 22 October 1983. This Bill provides for the payment of employees' entitlements subject to certain limits, in respect of wages, arrears of statutory minimum wages, holiday pay, sick pay, entitlements under the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act, 1974, and the Employment Equality Act, 1977, the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973, the Unfair Dismissals Act, 1977, and outstanding contributions to company pension schemes which have not been paid because of their employers' insolvency. It does not deal with the question of redundancy payments which are already provided for in existing legislation (the Redundancy Payments Acts, 1967 to 1979) which allow for payment of statutory redundancy entitlements from the redundancy fund, administered by my Department, in cases which an employer is unable or unwilling to pay these entitlements.