Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 17 Oct 1995

Vol. 457 No. 1

Written Answers. - Payments to Former Workers.

Noel Davern

Ceist:

160 Mr. Davern asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the number of former workers of Irish Leathers who have received payment from his Department's insolvency fund; the number of former workers who are entitled to payments from the insolvency fund but have yet to receive payment; the method of payment; and if the former workers will be entitled to any future payments. [14867/95]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

I assume the Deputy is referring to the Insolvency Payments Scheme under which certain outstanding pay related entitlements due to employees on the insolvency of their employer can be paid by the State on application by a relevant officer, in this case, the receiver.

The applications in respect of Irish Leathers plc span a period of about ten years and cover a wide range of entitlements such as wages, holiday pay, minimum notice and pension fund contributions. In the time available, it would not be possible to check through all the manual files involved in order to ascertain the total number of employees covered by payments to the receiver on foot of applications made at various times over the past decade in respect of different entitlements. The total sum paid in respect of eligible entitlements was £828,287.

However, all applications for funds have been dealt with and all payments have issued. The only exception is the holiday pay element of a small number of claims in which the information necessary to finalise the claims is awaited by my Department.

There are no other outstanding claims on hand.