Vol. 464 No. 2
114 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if a decision has been taken regarding the provision of redundancy payments to former employees of Irish Steel under the readaptation aid package; if so, if payment under this package will be approved for those employees who were made redundant as far back as 1988; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7843/96]
As I mentioned to the Deputy in response to parliamentary questions on 27 February and 26 March, my Department received a communication from the EU Commission in Brussels confirming that the Commission has approved grant aid, under Article 56 (2) (b) of the ECSC Treaty, amounting to ECU 376,806 for 194 workers made redundant in 1994-95. A number of aspects of the Commission's decision, and the conditions attached to the decision, have to be clarified by my Department before any payment can be made by the EU Commission. My Department has been in touch with the Commission but it will be some more months before all matters are clarified.
Regarding readaptation aid payments to workers made redundant since 1988, the 30 workers made redundant in 1988 and the 90 workers made redundant in 1992, were not eligible for readaptation aid from the EU Commission under Article 56 (2) (b) of the ECSC Treaty, because I understand, the redundancies were the consequences of a rationalisation of the product range of Irish Steel Ltd. and were not the result of a permanent discontinuance, curtailment or change in activities, which at the time was necessary to qualify for readaptation aid from the EU under Article 56 (2) (b) of the ECSC Treaty.
