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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 14 Jun 1988

Vol. 382 No. 1

Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers - Hospitals Trust Prize Fund.

9.

asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement regarding the undistributed prize fund of the Hospitals Trust (1940) Limited; and if he will make this fund, or part of it, available for distribution among the redundant employees of the Hospitals Trust.

I am advised that legislation will be necessary to release the sweepstakes trustees of their obligations in respect of these unclaimed prizes and to enable the funds be disposed of. I am advised that this money could not be made available legitimately, even in part, for distribution among former employees of the Hospitals Trust (1940) Limited. Responsibility for the making of any payments to these former employees rests solely with their former employer.

While all my sympathies are with these redundant workers, I am afraid that it is not open to me as Minister for Health to take any useful action on their behalf.

I accept that, to a certain extent, the Minister is constrained. However, will he agree that if the sale of the property had been completed the former employer would have been in a position to receive additional moneys and to increase the compensation to those workers who lost their jobs?

As the Deputy rightly points out, the sole responsibility for the former employees lies with the former employer. In the event of the sale of the Hospitals Trust property I do not know what action the employer might take.

In relation to the property which is still unsold, is the Minister aware that Dublin Corporation have proposed to zone it for exclusive residential use which will cut its value by approximately 50 per cent?

The question before me relates to the distribution of undistributed prize moneys of the Hospitals Trust and I do not have the answer to the Deputy's question.

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