Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 418: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the Government intends to pay from the redundancy fund towards the cost of the Irish Ferries lay-offs. [14812/06]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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An application for a statutory redundancy rebate payment from Irish Ferries under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2003 was received by my Department on 17 February 2006. It was submitted by means of the new redundancy on-line application system. The matter has been referred to the Attorney General as a matter of some urgency for advice on whether a genuine redundancy situation exists in this case and whether the rebate can therefore be paid from the social insurance fund. On receipt of this advice from the Attorney General, a decision will be made on the issue.

The purpose of the statutory redundancy payments scheme is to compensate workers whose jobs no longer exist. It would certainly be the policy of the Government to pay a rebate only in situations where the strict criteria stipulating genuine grounds for redundancy under section 7 of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967, as amended by section 4 of the Redundancy Payments Act 1971 and section 5 of the Redundancy Payments Act 2003, are applicable.