Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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196. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will consider allowing the €3 million SOLAS fund established for a group (details supplied) to be used towards the payment of redundancy sums that have been denied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20091/21]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I extend my sympathies to the workers in Debenhams and fully appreciate how difficult the situation has been for those involved and their families. The Government has always sought to ensure that the concerns of Debenhams workers are heard, and that the State’s welfare, employment and training services are responding to the needs of the former Debenhams workers. The State has guaranteed the legal rights and entitlements of Debenhams workers including statutory redundancy. This right has been honoured by the State at a cost of over €13m.

I acknowledge that the Debenhams workers are disappointed that an enhanced redundancy package cannot be met. However, negotiations on enhanced redundancy are a voluntary matter between the liquidator and former employees. 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. To do so would represent the State picking and choosing certain workers over others as being more deserving of enhanced payments.

Legally, the Government was in a position to allocate a fund of €3 million to support career guidance, training, education and business start-ups for the former Debenhams workers, but not as a direct payment for redundancy compensation.

I understand that following an initial rejection of the fund by the workers concerned, SOLAS and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science have commenced engagement more broadly with each group of redundant employees in the different locations to advise and help inform their consideration of the proposal, and this is to be welcomed.