1051. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will address a matter regarding redundancies (details supplied) [57617/26]

Firstly, my thoughts are with all workers facing potential redundancy and I understand this is very difficult time for those involved.

Under the Redundancy Payments Act 1967, as amended, an eligible employee who is made redundant is entitled to a redundancy payment from their employer. The statutory redundancy payment is 2 weeks' pay for every year of service plus 1 additional week's pay. This payment is capped at €600 per week.

To be eligible, an employee must meet all the following requirements:

• They must have worked with your employer for at least 104 weeks (2 years), excluding any period of employment with that employer before the age of 16 years

• Their employment must be fully insurable under the Social Welfare Acts. In general this means paying Class A PRSI; and

• Their job must no longer exist.

In certain circumstances, an employer may offer a redundancy payment which is over and above the statutory amount, sometimes referred to as enhanced redundancy. Entitlement to an enhanced redundancy payment from an employer is a matter for negotiation between employers and employees.

Additionally, the Intreo service of the Department of Social Protection provides supports to all workers who face job losses. This service can assist in relation to income and employment supports where needed, including helping with appropriate training and development opportunities.