Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise with the Minister of State, Deputy Humphreys, the appointment of a liquidator to Xtra-vision yesterday and the impact this has had on the staff of the company. It was announced before Christmas that a number of stores would closed and that staff would be let go. Staff understood they would receive their redundancy payments immediately. The appointment of a liquidator means the situation has changed.

Staff are worried about how long they will have to wait before they receive their redundancy payments. I understand some staff learned only yesterday that stores would close and did not have advance notice. It was a major shock for them. The issue has been raised with me and there are other such cases. I am concerned about how staff in such situations are treated. The appointment of a liquidator can lead to fear and uncertainty on the part of staff at a time when they need to be informed in advance of what is happening, told about their entitlements and so on.

I would like the Minister of State to outline the entitlements of the staff in terms of redundancy payments, the timeframe involved and whether anything can be done to expedite their payments. If there is any delay in payments, it could have a major impact on families' outgoings. Will the Department of Social Protection, in particular through local offices such as those in Clondalkin which is based in my constituency where there is a store, make arrangements to give assistance and advice to the staff concerned? Will their jobseeker's allowance claims be expedited in any way or will supplementary welfare payments be made in cases where the need arises? What special arrangements are being made to assist the staff in this situation?

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