Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 May 2026
120. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to provide an update on job losses at a company (details supplied); to provide urgent clarification on the handling of this redundancy process; the supports available for affected workers; if he will address the legislative gap that allows employers to bypass trade unions in collective redundancy situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38436/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation in place to protect workers who may be impacted by redundancy. The Redundancy Payments Act 1967, as amended, requires employers to pay a statutory redundancy payment to eligible employees who are being made redundant and have more than 2 years’ service.
The rules governing collective redundancies are set out in the Protection of Employment Act 1977, as amended. Under the Act, collective redundancies arise where, during any period of 30 consecutive days, the employees being made redundant are:
5 employees where 21-49 are employed; 10 employees where 50-99 are employed; 10% of the employees where 100-299 are employed; and 30 employees where 300 or more are employed.
The 1977 Act imposes a number of obligations on an employer that proposes a collective redundancy. This includes undertaking a 30-day information and consultation process with the employees’ representatives and notifying the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment of the proposed redundancies at least 30 days before they take effect. My Department received a notification of proposed collective redundancies from the company concerned on 27 April 2026.
Under the Protection of Employment Act 1977, the employees’ representatives are defined as
(a) a trade union, staff association or excepted body with which it has been the practice of the employer to conduct collective bargaining negotiations, or
(b) in the absence of such a trade union, staff association or excepted body, employee(s) who are elected by a group of employees to act as their representative.
This approach reflects the fact that Ireland’s industrial relations system is based on a voluntarist model, which recognises employees have the right under the Constitution to form associations and trade unions and that employers also have the right not to recognise trade unions for collective bargaining purposes.
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is the organisation which is mandated to secure compliance with employment rights legislation. Employees have the right to refer complaints to the WRC on a wide range of employment law breaches for an adjudication and compensation where appropriate. This includes the right to make a complaint where they believe their employer has failed to fulfil its obligations under the Protection of Employment Act 1977.
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.
