Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the Government's role, we will make sure that the legal rights of the workers are fully vindicated. That means making sure they get at least two weeks' payment per year of service, which is the statutory minimum redundancy payment. If the liquidator in the company cannot pay that, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection will pay for it out of the social insurance fund. Officials have been in contact with the liquidators in that respect and are progressing with that.

It also falls to that Department to ensure the workers get whatever welfare payments and income supports they are entitled to. We will make sure they are given opportunities to retrain, get access to adult education where appropriate and get assistance in seeking new jobs. The job loss protocol has been activated for employees at Debenhams, putting in place all available supports and information for workers. Officials have been facilitating the workers with online information sessions and other forms of assistance in recent weeks. Indeed, workers have told me that the job loss protocol has been helpful. It does not provide significant compensation for the difficulty that they are going through, but it will certainly help them on the journey back into the retail sector.

We are dealing with the unions about future solutions. We have committed to doing that quickly to review the recommendations of the Duffy-Cahill report and other recommendations and suggestions. I have asked ICTU for more evidence and information, and for its legal opinion, because it might differ from ours in some cases. We are prepared, as a Government, to review this and work on it. That does not mean that we can do it immediately. We have to engage with all stakeholders to see what we can do.

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