Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Jan O'Sullivan for raising this serious matter and I share her concerns about the position of the employees in question. I know the Deputy has a significant interest in children's welfare and education, which was so evident when she was Minister for Education and Skills. I also share her concern about the position of families who may be affected by the sudden closure of the child care services in question. The uncertainty caused in this situation must be stressful for parents, children and workers alike.

At the outset, I confirm that there has been no engagement or communication from this company with my Department. However, I wish to reassure the workers concerned that we have a robust suite of employment rights legislation which provides strong protections to employees. Those protections include, for example: the Protection of Employment Acts 1977 to 2007, which provide for a process of information and consultation between the employer and the employee representatives in circumstances where a collective redundancy is proposed; the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts 1973 to 2005, which give employees entitlements to specified notice periods or payment in lieu of notice; and the European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003 which may apply in certain circumstances.

These regulations aim to protect the basic terms and conditions of employment for employees in situations where a transfer of a business takes place. Fourth, there are the Redundancy Payments Acts and the insolvency payments scheme, both of which are administered by the Minister for Social Protection.

The Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, is mandated to secure compliance with employment rights legislation. The WRC's customer service section provides information on employment, equality and industrial relations rights and obligations, as well as on how to obtain redress where appropriate. The WRC's customer service section can be contacted at the lo-call number, 1890 80 80 90, and the website also provides extensive information on employment rights.

I understand the concerns of the Deputy about the impact on families and children affected by this situation. I understand from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs that in response to the closure of Tic Toc, Limerick Childcare Committee is working with parents to assist them in making alternative child care arrangements. I understand further that all children registered in the early childhood care and education free preschool year at the three Tic Toc services have received their full entitlement for the 2015-2016 year. This represents the vast majority of children registered in the affected services. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs is keen to ensure that the areas served by the Tic Toc facilities continue to have access to child care and where it is possible for replacement services to be established at, or close to, the sites in question, that Department and other relevant bodies, which act as agents of the Department, will provide all possible assistance to potential new management. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs understands that some preliminary discussions already have taken place in this regard. The Deputy will appreciate that the provision of child care services is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The Deputy may wish to raise these matters separately with my colleague.

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