Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to hear there has been movement and that the Tánaiste and her Department are working on resolving the issue because workers find themselves in a very serious situation workers when a company folds in that way. In the recent case to which I refer, we were told the sole trader should have taken out insurance for insolvency purposes. If that is the position, why are sole traders not obliged to do so when they set up companies, rather than it being a case of finding out after the fact that a sole trader does not have insurance and of workers being left high and dry? Workers must deal with the insolvency payments scheme, the Employment Appeals Tribunal, etc., and they are getting nowhere. Their PRSI payments were not made and right across the board they are not entitled to medical care. It is a very serious issue that should be dealt with in a manner that will resolve the situation for the affected workers.

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