Vol. 1075 No. 4
1. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the protections his Department will install for workers to prevent the situation that occurred at a company (details supplied) being replicated at other companies, whereby workers are left without any form of income for prolonged periods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62594/25]
Last month, one of Ireland's largest delivery companies went into receivership, leaving 300 direct employees' jobs at risk and impacting a further 600-plus jobs, including subcontractors, franchisees and seasonal workers. These workers have been left in limbo and are still technically employed by Fastway but no longer getting paid. What protections will the Department install for workers to prevent the situation that occurred in Fastway being replicated in other companies, whereby workers and subcontractors are left without any form of income for prolonged periods?
I thank the Deputy for this very important question. My thoughts are with all those affected by the receivership and all of their families because I know it is a very difficult and uncertain time.
I also know the news can be very distressing for all of those involved.
Receivership is a long-standing legal mechanism for the enforcement of a security. Usually in Ireland, a receiver is an individual appointed by a lender, such as a bank, to take control of a company's or an individual's assets that were used as security for a loan. In general, a receiver's primary function is to secure the assets of the company, which has been mortgaged or charged in favour of the security holder who appointed him or her, and realise those assets so the secured creditor's debt is repaid as quickly and efficiently as possible. Receivers are independent in the exercise of their functions and I cannot intervene in such matters. Where employees are affected by receivership, the Government works in a co-ordinated way to assist with income supports and employment and training opportunities for those affected.
I received a collective redundancy notification from the receivers of the Nuvion Group on 31 October 2025. I understand the receivers are undertaking a 30-day consultation with employees' representatives as required by law. It is important to note there is no specific statutory restriction on employees from taking up additional employment during the consultation period in circumstances where they are not expected to attend the workplace. Provided they do not resign from the current employment, there should be no obstacle to them retaining their statutory redundancy entitlements.
Where their employer has become insolvent, employees' entitlements are protected under the redundancy payments scheme and redundancy Act. This scheme guarantees employees' statutory redundancy payments and certain wage-related entitlements such as arrears of wages and minimum notice. The receiver is responsible for applying, under the redundancy and insolvency payment schemes, on the employees' behalf. The processing of these claims cannot occur until the termination of the employment has taken place after the 30-day consultation period concludes. Following the completion of the 30-day consultation process, employees may apply for jobseeker's pay-related benefit or jobseeker's allowance, if their employment ends. Employees in need of immediate financial assistance should visit their local Intreo centre social welfare branch office, where an application for an urgent needs payment can be processed as a high priority.
I thank the Minister and I know the discussions we are having obviously overlap with the remit of the Minister for Social Protection. In these situations, it is very important that there is tight communication between both Departments to put in emergency services. The Minister said people can go to their Intreo offices, but in these situations it is important that dedicated personnel are available to people to answer all of their queries. The huge shock that comes with a receivership announcement leaves hundreds of families devastated. There is a lot of confusion. In particular, what workers and subcontractors were trying to find out was whether any of the payments the Minister cited would impact on their redundancy. They would need written confirmation of that because they do not want to find out, months down the line, that they have taken something that has jeopardised that. It is hugely important that we can protect those workers during prolonged periods without income when their employer has gone into receivership.
I have also been in constant contact with the Department of Social Protection on this issue to ensure employees are supported. We have also been in touch with the Revenue Commissioners, particularly for those who are self-employed and linked to this. I am very clear that the approach the Revenue will take will be a very understanding one, considering the stress of cashflow when people get news like this or a company closes urgently. For those protections, provided the employee does not resign from his or her post, the redundancy is protected. That is the key issue. I am obliged to adhere to the EU collective redundancy directive, which is very clear that the consultation period has to be completed before other supports can be given. We have in place urgent needs support from the Department of Social Protection which will be available to assist employees. There is a lot of judicial precedent around that particular directive, particularly in Luxembourg where a number of cases were taken to ensure Ministers are unable to intervene in that 30-day period. While we are bound by that directive, we are working very closely with employees and their families and any support we can give will be forthcoming, particularly in future. We have to ensure there are huge opportunities in the economy to future-proof for the workers' families and get additional income for them at a very difficult time. This is very concerning for families but we are there to support them.
It would be very useful if the Minister and the Minister for Social Protection drew up a definitive list of actions and supports. I will work with them in doing that, so that if this situation happens again, we will have something - almost a pack - to present to workers showing them the do's and don'ts of what they are allowed to do, so people will have clarity around that. Will the Minister consider a number of measures to strengthen worker protections in similar circumstances? The first would be to have enhanced oversight of franchising and subcontracting models. Many of these arrangements blur the line between employment and self-employment. We need clearer legal definitions and enforcement to ensure the people doing the work are afforded the rights and protections of workers, including redundancy notice and holiday entitlements, even where corporate structures try to say otherwise. That is critically important.
The Minister must also remember that workers all over the country are impacted by this, including in my constituency.
Absolutely, and I know there was a Fastway depot in my home town of Mullingar where a number of workers are affected. My thoughts are with them. The Government is here to support and work with them under the current framework. I note again the significant challenges presented by the 30-day consultation period, but it is there to protect workers. Any holiday pay or wages that accrue will be paid by the receiver. It is up to the receiver to take details from the self-employed as well, particularly proof of invoices, etc., which is very important for payment of workers later down the line. We have been in very close contact with families and the Department of Social Protection and we are happy to receive any further ideas on how to deal with these matters in the future. There is a lot of legislation in place to protect workers in this regard. If there are any allegations of any other activity, the Corporate Enforcement Authority and An Garda Síochána also stand ready to investigate, should any issues be raised with them.
2. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether he plans to review the employment permits process, with a view to making the process faster; whether his Department has considered streamlining the process with the visa process, in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62597/25]
I would be grateful if the Minister would let me know whether he plans to review the employment permits process during his term as Minister. The process of applying for a permit can be slow at times and I would like to know his plan to address this. Has the Department considered streamlining this process via the visa process?
I thank the Deputy. Over the last number of years, my officials, in collaboration with officials in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, have been working strenuously to deliver a more efficient and streamlined employment permit and visa system. A key element of this is the implementation of a single application procedure for both employment permits and immigration permissions, in line with the single permit directive. It is expected that this will reduce the complexity of the current system, ensuring that the process responds effectively and quickly to meet skills and labour needs into the future.
A programme implementation team, co-chaired by my Department and the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, has been established. The initial focus of this group will be on streamlining the existing processes and co-ordinating external communication; scoping the feasibility of technological, legislative and data-sharing solutions; and agreeing and laying the groundwork for subsequent implementation. The expected delivery date for this complex project is 2027. I and my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, recently met with officials from both Departments and we remain actively engaged with regard to driving momentum to ensure progress is maintained and milestones are achieved with regard to work on the single permit directive.
The modernisation and integration of the IT systems in both Departments are integral to delivering this project. I am pleased to report that earlier this year, my Department launched the new employment permits online system. This portal-based system has made the application process easier, more secure and more intuitive, resulting in a more streamlined processing experience for applicants. It sits on a Microsoft Power platform, which is based on similar technologies that the Department of justice will use, and it is expected to move to and support the infrastructure required for a single application process across both Departments.
I have assisted my constituents in applying and reapplying for employment permits in recent months.
The process can sometimes be unnecessarily long, particularly in the case of employment permit appeals. At the moment appeals in respect of this permit take around five months via the Department, which is a very long time. The current system of people having to wait for their employment permit to be granted before they can apply for the visa is inefficient and causes unnecessary delays. It does not make sense for the process to be separated. It is very frustrating for people and employers who are waiting for answers. They are left in complete limbo. The current process should be streamlined to allow for faster decision-making. Has the Minister of State considered working with the embassies to ensure that both are granted at the same time to give people better clarity? As it stands, employers are unable to properly plan and accommodate employees.
I thank the Deputy for his feedback. Our Department has taken significant steps in making the employment permit system faster and more efficient. As I said in my earlier contribution, we launched the employment permit online system back in April of this year. We have already seen how it has transformed the application process. It makes it easier and more secure. Over 47,000 successful registrations have been completed and the permit submissions have returned to pre-launch levels. Currently the processing times are around 31 business days for general employment permits and 16 business days for critical skills permits. These timelines continue to improve. It is part of the broader digital transformation project we are undertaking and it allows Ireland to become and remain competitive on a global stage in regard to critical skills and critical skills' employment permits.
With full employment, employers who are relying heavily on employment permits have found it increasingly difficult in recent years to find people to fill important roles. It is clear that an efficient system is required for employers to address the labour shortage to allow them to plan, recruit and maintain their business. Is the Department working with employers to ensure the current system is workable for them? Can the Department improve communications with employers regarding specific applications? Employers lack efficient communication channels with the Department regarding employment permits. The current application process seems like a box-ticking exercise focused on rigid criteria rather than individual circumstances. The Department needs to work with employers if we are to address labour shortages going forward.
We have implemented a huge modernisation of the permit system here in recent times. As I said earlier, it was launched in April of this year and, as part of that, we engaged extensively with business representatives and trusted partners. We went out most recently with a consultation process on the updated occupation list. We have also enhanced our learning and engagement to ensure that when employers are looking to make an application, they have the learning and the engagement, so they can get it right first time. That is really important. As part of that digital transformation, it is critical that we get the single application process in place, that we get the employment permits along with the visa application, and that the immigration process is streamlined under the single permit directive. We are very much working together with officials in exploring ways we can expedite the visa process for critical skills. It is really important. The economy is still going strong and there are labour shortages in certain sectors. We need to address that. The next phase of this is to have the single online process in place by 2027.
3. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment how he is taking account of the views expressed by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in its scrutiny of the proposed omnibus directive, in particular the committee's concerns that the proposals extend far beyond the simplification of burdensome regulations for small and medium enterprises and could weaken the due diligence obligations of large companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62596/25]
I want to talk to the Minister about the proposed omnibus directive and in particular the enterprise committee's concerns that the proposals extend far beyond simplification of burdensome regulations for small and medium enterprises and that these could weaken the due diligence obligations of larger companies. It is really important that we need to know where we stand on it. Is Ireland voting in favour of deregulation or to protect the corporate sustainability due diligence directive?
As the Deputy is aware, simplification and burden reduction is a key issue at EU level with a view to improving EU competitiveness and ensuring there are no disproportionate burdens on business, particularly SMEs. In this context, the omnibus on sustainability was published in February 2025. I wish to acknowledge the work undertaken by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in relation to the omnibus on sustainability. This included public sessions held on 11 and 18 June, the latter of which included participation by officials from my Department in relation to the implications for the corporate sustainability due diligence directive, CSDDD, and the corporate sustainability reporting directive. I have noted the contents of the subsequent report from the joint committee, dated 18 July 2025.
In line with the call from EU leaders to make early progress on this omnibus, a negotiating mandate was agreed by member states on 23 June 2025 on the content aspect of the proposal. I understand that the European Parliament is scheduled to adopt a position on the proposal today, after which it is expected that trilogue negotiations will shortly commence.
I welcome progress on the proposal, which will significantly help EU enterprises and, most notably and critically, SMEs. While changes have been proposed in the published directive, in the context of the EU simplification and burden reduction agenda, the intention remains to promote responsible business conduct. It is envisaged that in-scope companies will continue to be required to conduct risk-based human rights and environmental due diligence and to integrate due diligence into all corporate policies and risk management systems. Ireland has sought to play a constructive role in the negotiations and I will be mindful of the observations of the joint committee when the trilogue negotiations get under way.
Everybody agrees on what needs to be done for small and medium businesses in particular, and for any other businesses, in addressing the administrative burden, the duplication and a lot of the nonsense around requirements that are made on businesses. Deputy Charles Ward, my Donegal colleague, is here and when I hear about deregulation, I am mindful of what the defective concrete block scandal is costing us right now. We are going to have to pay billions of euro because of light regulation. I really do not want us to go down that road again.
The Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights, whose members include ICTU, Christian Aid Ireland, Trócaire, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth Ireland and many other civil organisations and academic experts, says that CSDDD will not be effective unless it includes maintaining the CSDDD risk-based approach to due diligence and allowing companies to focus on prioritising those risks to human rights and the environment within their chain of activity. We really need to get this right.
Anyone who saw the Draghi scorecard published a fortnight ago will see it really points out the implementation process of the simplification revolution and how slow it is. We really need to have an impetus on this. I spoke to all the MEPs in our party in the European Parliament to really get a big push on this. There are six pieces of omnibus legislation currently with the Parliament. We need to see simplification really borne out for our SMEs. We see from the original proposal that 35% of a reduction can be achieved by 2030, with some €37 billion of a saving for SMEs. No one is talking about key regulation that protects our citizens in terms of what the Deputy spoke about in relation to on mica, defective concrete blocks and products like that. That is key for our economy. We have learned a lot over the past decade and previously about our regulatory processes. We have a huge number of regulators in the State now but we need to ensure their interoperability with SMEs can be enhanced, that we do things a little easier, that we are making progress and that we are not putting an unnecessary burden on businesses, which is key for me as an enterprise Minister.
I do not think the two things are contradictory in the sense of what we need to do in this space. Obviously, we need to do everything. Small and medium businesses are really struggling right now but we do not need to sacrifice, for example, how we are going to meet our emissions targets or how we are going to ensure that employees' and workers' rights are protected within this space. Maintaining the CSDDD harmonised civil liability regime to prevent fragmentation and increased legal costs and ensuring justice for victims are really important. We also need to ensure that the CSDDD requirement to put into effect climate transition plans is maintained.
We need to protect the CSDDD provisions on stakeholder engagement. The changes brought about by the omnibus proposal not only render the CSDDD ineffective by making sure that companies will fail to identify the most severe risks that take place further down their value chains, but also fail in their stated aim of simplifying legislation. The changes will mean that all due diligence obligations are passed to suppliers. There is a way of getting this right but we need to get the balance right.
This is about simplification. One of the key issues is the need to support our SMEs to ensure the burden placed on them is not inappropriate. With regard to each of the issues mentioned, a risk-based approach will continue, which is important. Stakeholder involvement will be core to the directive, which is also very important.
With regard to harmonised civil liability, obviously national governments will be able to make a determination on this, which is also very important. With regard to our climate policies, it is key that we look at implementation and this is what the new trial will be focused on. It will be focused on the implementation of climate action and how we support businesses to try to embark upon transition. The key issue is that we have too much regulation. We know from our SMEs and businesses the pressure they are under and we need to ensure we have proportionate legislation and that, as an economy, we incentivise innovative approaches and ensure we are protecting citizens. In no way am I talking about watering down the regulatory requirements of key processes in our State, which are so important. This is about doing things quicker. We saw from the Draghi and Letta reports the work we have to do in a European context. Now is the time to get on with the job.
4. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the progress being made by his Department on creating an operational AI regulatory sandbox by 2 August 2026, in line with the EU AI Act 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62583/25]
What progress has been made by the Department on the creation of an operational AI regulatory sandbox by 2 August 2026, in line with the EU AI Act?
As Deputy Geoghegan is aware, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act entered into force in August 2024 and provides a harmonised regulatory framework for AI systems developed or deployed in the EU. It is designed to provide a high level of protection to people's health, safety and fundamental rights, while simultaneously promoting the adoption of human-centric, trustworthy AI. Its provisions will start to apply in a phased manner over the period to August 2027.
Earlier this year, the Government agreed to adopt a distributed model of competent authorities, leveraging the State's established sectoral regulatory authorities, to carry out supervisory and enforcement roles for the purposes of the AI Act. The Department is leading across government on the national implementation of the AI Act, and officials are working closely with colleagues in other Departments to devise the optimal configuration of a national competent authority for the Act to ensure comprehensive, robust and effective implementation in Ireland.
To date, 13 public bodies have been designated as market surveillance authorities and four as notifying authorities, with some of these public bodies having a dual role. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has also been designated to act as Ireland's single point of contact, as required by the AI Act, to facilitate co-ordination and to provide a number of centralised functions for the distributed model until a new independent entity, the AI office of Ireland, is established on a statutory basis to carry out this role.
As Deputy Geoghegan noted, the AI Act stipulates that member states should ensure their competent authorities establish at least one AI regulatory sandbox at national level to be operational by 2 August 2026. The AI Act introduces AI regulatory sandboxes as a key mechanism to foster innovation. They should aim to enhance legal certainty for innovators and the competent authorities' oversight and understanding of the opportunities, emerging risks and impacts of AI use.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
They should facilitate regulatory learning for both authorities and businesses. The participation in the AI regulatory sandbox should focus on issues that raise legal uncertainty for providers and prospective providers to innovate, experiment with AI in the European Union and contribute to evidence-based regulatory learning.
The AI office of Ireland will act as the central co-ordinating body for the EU AI Act and provide a focal point for the promotion and adoption of transparent and safe AI in Ireland to ensure that we fully capture the strategic opportunity that AI presents. The office will also be responsible for ensuring the timely establishment of the national AI regulatory sandbox.
It is important to note that in addition to preparing practical guidance to support member states setting up national sandboxes, the European Commission is also required to adopt implementing acts for sandboxes, setting out principles regarding participation, co-operation and procedures. Officials are actively involved in EU working groups related to these matters and we await the first drafts of these proposals from the Commission, which are expected in the first quarter of 2026.
The Department will continue to engage with the European Commission, other member states, industry, the SME sector and our regulators to look for opportunities to help inform and shape preparations and to identify opportunities to collaborate in establishing an operational AI regulatory sandbox.
I thank the Minister of State for the reply. He indicated the establishment of the AI office will be crucial in respect of the regulatory sandbox. I look forward to primary legislation being introduced on this and to it coming before the Committee on Artificial Intelligence, of which I am Vice Chair. One of the things that struck me when we were in Estonia recently at a digital summit was just how far ahead some other EU countries are in the adaptation of AI. What the Department is doing in respect of ensuring small businesses in the enterprise sector can stay competitive by harnessing the benefits of AI is a model that other countries could emulate. Beyond the Department of enterprise, we could go a lot further. I am heartened to hear there is a lot of cross collaboration taking place in respect of the establishment of the AI office. Does the Minister of State agree that the forthcoming EU Presidency could create a great opportunity for Ireland, given that we have lot of the large language model, LLM, companies based here, to have an AI summit to promote the benefits of AI and what it could bring to this country?
I thank Deputy Geoghegan for his interest in the AI Act. There are questions here today and certainly his welcome for the AI office is crucial. The Minister, Deputy Burke, allocated more than €1.4 million for its establishment, with the staffing plan now in place, and to ensure the sandbox is operational by August next year, which is not far away. We are also working with the EU digital innovation hubs and CeADAR to provide technical expertise and support for businesses. We need to continue to ensure the AI office can be functional in this time. For us, the sandbox is not another bureaucratic hurdle; it is certainly a tool that can support SMEs on their innovation journey. They can test AI systems safely, reduce compliance uncertainty and speed up market access. We have a good story to tell in regard to new start-ups in the AI sector. We want to become a leader among many competitive members in the EU to ensure we are at the fore of AI regulation. This initiative is very important on that journey.
In the enterprise sector, work is under way and has been done historically in Ireland when it comes to attracting investment and technology companies here. Now we see in Ireland the work Enterprise Ireland has done in supporting the hyper scaling of technology companies and start-ups. We saw some measures in the budget and, hopefully, there are more to come in future to support the emergence of an indigenous technology industry here. Some of the steps we have taken could be adapted in other Departments. Perhaps we could see the leading role this Department is taking in other spheres, such as health and education. We can look at what other EU countries are doing. The hosting of the EU Presidency by Ireland presents a unique opportunity. A number of years ago when Estonia held the Presidency it created a digital summit. We could demonstrate that we are the lead in class when it comes to the regulation of AI and we could harness some of the benefits that are coming.
I agree with Deputy Geoghegan. It will be an important opportunity when Ireland takes over the Presidency to showcase our SMEs, the work we are doing in the AI sector and the steps we are taking in the Government. The AI office will have statutory independence, reporting annually to the Oireachtas and the AI committee. It will also co-ordinate regulators under a clear governance structure. Ireland has a long track record with regard to regulation and the integrity of the system we implement in many sectors, not only in technology but also in life science and medtech. We are a very attractive place to do business due to our regulations and our principles on integrity, justice and transparency. This is very important from an EU perspective as it gives us a competitive advantage. We want to ensure that participation in the AI Act allows us to have this openness and equal access to treatment among member states.
5. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the supports his Department is providing to companies impacted by the receivership announcement of a company (details supplied) to prevent further closures and job losses; the steps his Department is taking to ensure the packages held by the company are delivered to their owners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62267/25]
I want to speak further about Fastway because there is so much to be spoken about. The Minister knows that Fastway is built on a network of local franchisees and subcontractors, many of whom have been the backbone of parcel delivery in rural and regional Ireland. These are small family-run operations which have invested heavily, some of them up to €70,000 in recent months, in vehicles, equipment and staff. That has been based on trust in the system. They worked hard during the pandemic to deliver items to homes in lockdown. Many of them are owed significant sums of money, with no clarity on whether they will ever see it. They are left in limbo too.
I thank the Deputy for this very important question. It relates to a matter which is very close to my heart due to the fact that there is a depot in Mullingar. I very much understand the business model and the pressures that employees and their families face as a result of what happened.
Receivership is a long-standing legal mechanism for the enforcement of a security. Usually in Ireland, a receiver is an individual appointed by a lender, such as a bank, to take control of company assets that were used as security for a loan. In general, a receiver’s primary function is to secure the assets of the company, which have been mortgaged or charged in favour of the security holder who appointed him or her, and realise those assets in order that the secured creditor’s debt is repaid as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Creditors, including other businesses and self-employed contractors impacted by the receivership, should contact the receivers to submit proof of debt and file a claim regarding unpaid moneys and invoices. Revenue has confirmed that it will work with individual couriers and businesses and will be pragmatic in its approach where businesses experience cash-flow difficulties as a result of the loss of business or payments. Businesses experiencing cash-flow issues as a result of these developments may wish to also contact the national enterprise hub in our Department, which provides a wide range of supports and is a central, all-of-government service to assist businesses.
The Department of Social Protection provides a number of welfare supports and is also on hand to assist. If a person is self-employed as a franchise holder or contractor, they may qualify for the self-employed jobseeker’s benefit if they satisfy PRSI contribution conditions. They can also apply for basic supplementary welfare allowance as an interim payment while their application is being processed, subject to normal eligibility criteria. An employee of a franchise holder or a self-employed contractor who is impacted by the receivership, for example, by being put on temporary lay-off, may apply for jobseeker’s pay-related benefit or jobseeker’s allowance, depending on their PRSI record and means.
Neither I nor my Department have any responsibility in the treatment of packages held by the Nuvion group. Such transactions are a matter between the parties under contract law. I reiterate that any affected businesses should engage with the receivers.
Some of that information is useful. I thank the Minister for it. I commend my colleagues Senator Maria McCormack and Councillor Claire Murray who are working in the Laois area and who pulled together all the agencies last week to try to get as much information as possible for people. This is not just a commercial issue; it is about jobs and livelihoods. Every unpaid franchisee and subcontractor struggling to keep afloat represents a potential job loss and another business at risk.
I want to ask the Minister about the packages. He stated that they are not his responsibility, but many small retailers and online sellers have valuable stock that is tied up and that cannot be delivered to their customers. For some, this could represent a critical portion of their Christmas trade. We need to do something to protect those people's jobs. Some of these businesses went to An Post but it stated that it cannot manage the deliveries they need. We are coming into a critical period during which small businesses make a lot of their money.
I am fully aware of the gravity of the situation, particularly for franchisees and small self-employed contractors. The delivery of parcels is a matter of contract law. Delivery timelines relating to orders and the position regarding refunds are very much set out in consumer legislation and, from the point of view of the businesses involved, contract law. I have mentioned this matter to my colleague the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, from a transport perspective. An Post has absorbed some of the capacity, but there are also other providers in the marketplace. This is a challenge, but, critically, the matter is governed by contract law.
There are a number of other opportunities with existing providers for self-employed people and those who are involved in the franchise part of the business. A number of companies have taken some workers on, which is very important. It is key for workers and self-employed people to know that once they do not resign, their entitlement to redundancy, accrued wages and accrued holiday pay - this is important in the context of the consultation period - will not be affected.
This incident once again highlights the vulnerability of small operators when large logistic firms collapse. We need to examine the environment in which some companies are allowed to operate. Employees and those who are dependent on them, like subcontractors, need to be notified about what is happening at a very early stage. Earlier, the Minister referred to the fact that we need better corporate law and the ability to investigate, particularly where companies are owned by foreign investment funds. We need to have some way of ensuring that businesses that operate in this State do so in a responsible manner to their employees, the environment and the State. I urge the Minister to treat this not just as a single case of corporate insolvency but also as a wider economic risk and one that could hit hundreds of workers, drivers and small enterprises across the country.
There are huge challenges in our economy in respect of the turnover of jobs, which I, as Minister, can see. There is huge opportunity, but there is also a turnover of jobs every week. The Government is acutely aware of this and is supporting employees through it.
It is clear that the Corporate Enforcement Authority is responsible for policing company law. If there are any issues, they should be reported. We have a very strong statutory context that underpins the operation of companies in this State. An Garda Síochána has responsibility in respect of other matters that have been raised and that should be reported. There have been reports in the media about this issue as well.
Critically, we are here to support the workers, the contractors and franchisees. We will do everything we can to ensure that they are paid. This is a particularly important period for families. It can be very challenging. We will be there to support them with urgent payments. I am aware of the challenges many families face because I meet them at my clinics every week. The Government will not be found wanting in the context of supporting them at this difficult time. I assure those involved that training will be provided as well and that they are living in an economy of opportunity. There are opportunities, so they should not lose hope.
