Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I respect how Deputy Martin has raised this. The treatment of workers at Clerys, an institution for people from all over the country for over a century, was grossly insensitive and appalling. When I first heard the news, given the fact that we are making preparations for the centenary commemorations of 1916, which the Clerys building survived, and that the statue of Jim Larkin, famous for the Lock-out, is across the street, I thought it appallingly insensitive to people such as John Finn, who worked for 43 years in Clerys. He epitomised the shock and devastation that workers felt.

The Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Nash, has met with the liquidator to discuss the issues. The Department of Social Protection has assembled a team to meet with and advise workers about entitlements, jobseeker's payments, secondary payments such as rent supplement and future options in respect of alternative employment, training and education. Arrangements have been made with the Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union, SIPTU, to use Liberty Hall as a venue to meet with workers tomorrow, Wednesday, 17 June. The intention is that the meeting will provide information to all workers, including those employed by concession holders. Obviously, there are claims from concession holders for payments and the release of stock and its value due to them. The precise format of the meeting is yet to be finalised as workers might be involved at other meetings at Liberty Hall, but it is likely to involve the Department's team being available for referral for individuals or small groups on the day, rather than a large presentation. That facilitates better information being imparted to the workers.

A representative of the liquidator has verbally advised the Department of Social Protection that all staff have been made redundant and that P45s will issue this week. It is possible that a small number of staff from the payroll section might be retained in respect of the liquidation. The liquidator will seek payment from the insolvency payments scheme, IPS, on behalf of workers in respect of unpaid wages, accrued but untaken leave and payment in lieu of statutory notice. It is intended that meetings will be held between him and individual workers to determine, on an individual basis, the extent of liabilities. The Department will deal promptly with the individual applications submitted under the IPS by the liquidator. The Department of Social Protection will also ensure that jobseeker claims will not be delayed pending the liquidator resolving individual issues in regard to any leave accrued but not taken. This means that claims in this unfortunate situation can be paid quickly, subject to the usual criteria, and reconciled as required at a future date.

As Deputy Martin will be aware, the Minister of State, Deputy Nash, has met with the liquidator and has advised the liquidator to meet with the workers, as will happen now. The situation in this case has been examined over the years in the context of the legislation that is in place. I do not wish to give commitments I cannot fulfil in respect of changes to legislation, but I agree with the Deputy that in Ireland in 2015 the method and insensitivity with which this was handled is not something one wishes to see.

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