Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 114: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the contact she or the Irish Ambassador has had with a company (details supplied) or the Singapore Government to secure a redundancy settlement for the former workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11100/10]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I can advise the Deputy that under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 – 2007, the role of my Department is to ensure payment of statutory redundancy entitlements in respect of eligible employees entitled by law to a statutory redundancy lump sum on being made redundant. Currently, the statutory entitlement for eligible employees amounts to two weeks pay per year of service, plus a bonus week, subject to a maximum ceiling of €600 per week. Neither the Tánaiste or I have any role or remit in relation to the negotiation of ex gratia redundancy payments in excess of the statutory minimum levels set down in legislation. This is entirely a discretionary matter for negotiation with the employer and it would not be appropriate for the Tánaiste or I to engage in such deliberations.

The company in this instance went into liquidation and the appointed liquidator submitted claims for statutory redundancy in respect of all eligible employees at the company. These claims were processed and paid out directly by my Department to the former employees of the company from the Social Insurance Fund in the first quarter of 2009. As is the case in all liquidations, my Department is currently seeking to recover from the appointed liquidator the employer's 40% share of the liability for the redundancy payments which is due to the Social Insurance Fund.