446 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Labour if he will outline the basis upon which statutory redundancy lump sum payments were made to persons (details supplied); whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the company involved (details supplied) was not would up or liquidated under the Company's Acts Legislation; whether this is a necessary pre-requisite to a payment under the Social Insurance Fund; and whether the claims of two outstanding employees will now be discharged under the same fund, if claims are submitted.

450 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Labour if he will make a statement on the circumstances whereby two former employees (details supplied) of a company (details supplied) in Dublin 13 who were successful in their claim to the Employment Appeals Tribunal have been unable to secure payment of their awards whilst at the same time, two other employees (details supplied) of the same company, which is insolvent, have been paid under the Department's Social Insurance Fund; and if he will have this dispute resolved as a matter of urgency.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 450 together.

The Redundancy Payments Acts, 1967 to 1991, provide that, where an employer fails to pay a statutory redundancy lump sum to an eligible employee, the Minister for Labour is empowered to pay the appropriate entitlement from the Social Insurance Fund; it is not necessary that the employer should be insolvent. My Department has paid lump sums to the two persons stated to have been paid in the Deputies' questions in accordance with the provisions of the Redundancy Payments Acts as their employer failed to make the payments.