Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he or his Department has received representations from employees of a factory (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21005/15]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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74. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he is aware that employees have been made redundant from a factory (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21006/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 74 together.

I understand that the factory in question is a Bord na Móna peat briquette factory which is operating in a competitive and challenging energy sector, for which my colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has responsibility. I understand further that the company has accepted an invitation to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications to discuss the temporary cessation of peat briquette production at two of its facilities including the factory in question.

I confirm that I received representations last month on behalf of the employees of the factory in question. As the issues raised in the representations were matters for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister for Finance, I referred the representations to those Ministers for direct reply.

I am not aware that employees have been made redundant from this factory. The National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) is mandated to secure compliance with certain employment rights legislation. NERA operates the Workplace Relations Customer Service Unit which provides information on employees’ rights, including matters relating to redundancy, and how to obtain redress if an employee considers that their employment rights may have been infringed.

Under the Redundancy Payment Acts eligible employees (with at least two years continuous service in fully insurable employment) are entitled to a statutory lump sum payment on being made redundant. There may also be an entitlement to minimum notice based on the length of service of an employee.

Where an employer fails to comply with his or her redundancy payment/minimum notice or other employment rights obligations or where there is a dispute regarding entitlements, complaints may be referred by the employee to Workplace Relations Customer Service Unit of NERA.

The form and further details on making complaints are available on the Workplace Relations Customer Services website or through the Workplace Relations Customer and Case Support Service at 1890 80 80 90.