\”The Croke Park agreement makes provision for the redeployment of staff within the civil and public service. I am calling on Minister O’Keeffe to address this issue. Surely resources can be redeployed to this section in order to alleviate the backlog? It is unacceptable for those who are in most financial need to have to wait this long. Likewise the value of a swift payment of lump sum payments can be hugely beneficial to the economy as a whole. There are examples throughout the country of entrepreneurs using redundancy payments in order to exploit their skills and expertise to start up new businesses and create employment\”.
Fine Gael TD Michael Creed, will today (Wednesday) highlight the seven month delay facing unemployed people awaiting redundancy payments from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Innovation.
Speaking prior to a Dáil adjournment debate on the matter Deputy Creed said: ‘Last month I raised this issue and was met with a personal attack by Minister Batt O’Keeffe. Notwithstanding the Minister’s attitude towards this matter, the waiting time for payment remains at seven months according to the Department of Enterprise Trade and Innovation.
\”Minister O’Keeffe and his predecessor have lacked the political will to tackle this issue. In April 2009 – some 17 months ago, the Department published a public notice in the National Newspapers informing those awaiting redundancy payments, that there was a significant backlog and that efforts were being made to address the situation. It is typical of this Government’s performance that now in September 2010, the wait for payment has in fact increased.
TO VIEW THE DEBATE FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW