Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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7. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures that will be put in place to ensure workers on lay off will be able to access statutory redundancy payments swiftly in the event that their employment is no longer available after the current Covid-19 restrictions on redundancy are lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17841/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Government has always been clear that the emergency measure relating to redundancy entitlements following temporary periods of lay-off and short-time work introduced due to Covid-19 is a temporary measure. When the emergency measure ends eligible employees will be able to avail of their entitlement to make a claim for redundancy to their employer.

Under the Redundancy Payments Act 1967, it is the employer’s responsibility to pay statutory redundancy payments to eligible employees, in the first instance. However in situations where an employer is unable to pay these entitlements due to financial difficulties or insolvency, an application for payment under the Redundancy Payments Scheme may be submitted to the Department of Social Protection. The Department can make the statutory redundancy payment to eligible employees on behalf of the employer. The Redundancy Payments Scheme is funded from the Social Insurance Fund.

Following receipt of the application and the required documentation, the Department of Social Protection would normally issue payment within 6 weeks.