I want to raise the issue of the refusal by Rehab to pay redundancy to approximately 50 staff. All of us who employ people are obliged to look after them with statutory redundancy when they lose their jobs. This involves up to 40 SIPTU former employees and another ten who were not part of any trade union. I understand the Labour Court has been involved. Rehab has availed of public support over the decades. We all supported it. To treat people who gave long and sterling service to people with special disabilities in this way - they have been told to hump off - is no way to behave. There has been a stubborn refusal by Rehab. It must be brought to book by the Government here or held to account by the Committee of Public Accounts or somebody else. We saw issues in the past, and they were quite shocking. This is another new low that they would treat their staff like this and will not give them the statutory redundancy they are entitled to.

Without commenting on the individual case, issues regarding redundancy are set out through both contract law and, as the Deputy referenced, the industrial relations mechanism that is in place. It is not for the Government to intervene here, as there are clear industrial relations mechanisms in place.