Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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1338. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated amount of the Solas fund established for a group (details supplied) that is still available; if he has considered allowing this fund to be used towards the payment of enhanced redundancy sums that have been denied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20085/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate how difficult the situation is for this group and their families. The Government has always sought to ensure that the concerns of workers are heard, and that the State’s welfare, employment and training services are responding to the needs of the group in question.

In recognition of the exceptional circumstances to this matter the Government has agreed to provide a fund of €3m with the very specific objective of supporting career guidance, training, education and business start-ups for the group affected. This fund will be administered by SOLAS and cannot make direct payments for redundancy compensation. I am informed by my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment that there is no legal scope for the Government to supplement or ‘top-up’ redundancy payments to honour a collective agreement between an employer and its employees.

The full amount of the fund remains available for the purposes for which it was established. Following an initial rejection, SOLAS are engaging with the workers and their union to provide the necessary information to inform their further consideration of the proposal to establish the Fund.