Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 December 2025
176. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 196 of 21 February 2024, if he will review the eligibility for the insolvency payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70635/25]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my previous reply to Parliamentary Question No. 703 of 8 September 2025 on this matter www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2025-09-08/703/.
Since my last reply, the Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025 completed Committee Stage on 3 December 2025.
The timeline for the enactment of the Bill is a matter for the Oireachtas.
The Deputy may wish to note that section 4F in the Bill deals with the proposed Historical Deemed Insolvent process. It will ensure employees of employers who ceased trading without formally winding up before the Bill’s commencement are not disadvantaged by the previously incomplete transposition the Directive.
This section will permit applications for historical cases where an employee was owed money but their employer failed to formally wind up their business. This covers claims spanning from the original Directive transposition date, 22 October 1983, up to the commencement of the Bill once enacted.
The Historical Deemed Insolvent process will be open for applications for two years after section 4F is commenced. A further extension of two years is possible in exceptional circumstances outside the employee’s control. My Department will run a comprehensive communications campaign to ensure affected individuals are aware of this process before section 4F is commenced, following the Bill's enactment.
