Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We fully appreciate how difficult the announced closure of Aer Lingus Cargo is for the employees, their families and the wider community. Our thoughts are with them.

This is a commercial decision being made by Aer Lingus as a private company. We have no role in Aer Lingus’s commercial decisions and it would not be appropriate for any Minister to seek to intervene. However, Ireland has a robust and strong suite of employment rights legislation to protect and support employees in redundancy situations, including the obligation on the employer to pay a statutory lump sum payment to all eligible employees in situations of redundancy. To be eligible for a statutory redundancy payment, an employee must have at least two years’ continuous service with an employer and be in employment that is insurable under the social welfare Acts. An eligible employee is entitled to two weeks’ pay for every year of service, plus an additional week’s pay. Weekly pay for this purpose is subject to a ceiling of €600 per week.

The Government also provides a range of supports to anyone who is being made redundant. This includes assisting with income supports and appropriate training and development opportunities, and assistance through the Intreo service of the Department of Social Protection. Through our industrial relations mechanism, the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court, we support parties where needed in efforts to resolve differences that arise in these circumstances.

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