Tánaiste instructs welfare offices to process workers’ claims quickly

WELFARE offices in Dublin have been instructed to ensure the speedy processing of claims made by former Clerys workers.

Tánaiste Joan Burton told the Dáil that she issued the instruction after personally meeting some of the workers.

The Labour Party leader urged the business owners to display a sense of “fair play” towards workers and concessionaires.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for the staff of Clerys who gave so much to the company and who have been treated appallingly,” Ms Burton said.

“I hope the business owners involved in these transactions have some sense of business ethics, propriety and fair play, particularly for the workers, the employees of the concessionaires, the concessionaires themselves and the creditors of the company.”

Ms Burton said it was important that workers seeking jobseekers’ benefit had their claims processed quickly.

“The department is informing its network of local offices in the greater Dublin area of these developments to ensure that claims from affected workers are processed in a speedy and sensitive manner,” said Ms Burton.

Earlier, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams called for changes in company law so as to protect workers from “rogue employers”.

Mr Adams urged Taoiseach Enda Kenny to support a bill being tabled by Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín which proposes an amendment to the current legislation. But Mr Kenny said the matter was being examined by a review group.

“I do commit that the Company Law Review Group, which is headed by an eminent person, should examine this particular issue to see whether it is appropriate that changes be made to the law, as enacted, in order to prevent this kind of situation arising again,” Mr Kenny said.