Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 9: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views, in view of the delay experienced by employers in having statutory redundancy payments rebated by her Department, on allocating additional staff to this task, in a similar manner to the Department of Social and Family Affairs in processing unemployment assistance applications, particularly in view of the fact that this issue is causing cash-flow problems for smaller enterprises. [15008/09]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Both the Tánaiste and I are acutely aware of the difficulties which the inability to deliver an acceptable turnaround of redundancy rebate payments is giving rise to for both individual employees and the business community and together, we are taking steps to address the issues. The difficulties arise due to the unprecedented increase in the number of Redundancy Payment claims lodged with the Redundancy Payments Section of my Department in the latter part of 2008 and, to date in 2009.

Since the start of 2009, I have allocated 15 staff to the Redundancy Payments Section of my Department and 11 additional staff are due to be assigned to the Unit very shortly. In addition, my officials have been in discussions with the Department of Finance on the possibility of redeploying staff from other Departments to work in the Redundancy and other Employment Rights areas of my Department which are experiencing considerable pressure at the moment. Agreement has been reached with the Department of Finance and arrangements are now being put in place.

Furthermore, I have made arrangements that the information centre of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) will take all redundancy specific calls to enable the staff in the Redundancy Payments Unit to concentrate on and prioritise the processing of redundancy payment claims.

I can assure the Deputy that this matter is under constant review in my Department and that every effort is being made to deal with an increasing backlog in an attempt to ensure that claimants get the best possible service at, what is for them, a very difficult time.