Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-04
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Conor Murphy (SF), Industrial and Commercial Panel

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank him for stepping in to help the passage of this important legislation. We will be supporting the Bill to pass on to Committee Stage today.
As the Minister of State said in his statement, this comes about due to the 2018 Supreme Court ruling, which found that our legislation did not adequately transpose the EU directive to cover informal insolvency, that is, those situations where a business ceases trading without formal liquidation or bankruptcy. It is very important that workers are able to access their unpaid wages and entitlements from the insolvency payment scheme, and I welcome the Government's attempts, albeit belated and at the request of the Supreme Court, to now address this anomaly.
This is a workers' rights issue. It is about justice, dignity and making sure that those who have worked hard, often in low-paid jobs, are not left to suffer alone when their employer walks away. Sinn Féin has always championed the rights of the workers of Ireland, whether through advocating for fair wages, better working conditions or stronger protections against exploitation. We believe in collectivism and the right to unionise and that there must be a statutory safety net for those instances of extreme vulnerability such as company insolvency. The challenges that workers and families face are mounting day by day: the cost of rent, access to housing, the cost of healthcare, the cost of living, the price of fuel, the price of food. I am sure the Minister of State will be aware of the eye-watering increases in the cost of fuel. I listened to him on the radio yesterday morning talk about this and the prospect that companies would engage in some form of gouging, given the increase in oil prices internationally. The point was made to him - and he agreed with it - that stockpiling should prevent that, and here we are getting reports from across the country of eye-watering increases in fuel prices. I hope that the Minister and the CCPC will do a job in ensuring that large suppliers do not put undue costs on households and families.
As we are discussing business insolvency and its effects on workers, I also want to mention the staff at EuroGiant. Last month it was reported that EuroGiant had entered liquidation, with 640 jobs at risk across 20 counties. These workers must be treated with respect and they need clarity on their situation as soon as possible. I request that the Minister of State ask the Minister for enterprise to do all he can to support the affected workers.
In terms of legislation regarding informal insolvencies and their effect on workers, my colleague, an Teachta Rose Conway-Walsh, had tabled in the select committee amendments which would have shortened the length of time an employee would have to wait for payment from eight weeks to four weeks and increase the amount payable to an employee in respect of any debt from €600 a week to €1,000. The reason for suggesting the change to the higher amount was to bring it in line with current approximate average wages. Unfortunately, both amendments were ruled out of order, although the Minister then committed to keeping the time period under review. Eight weeks is a very long time for a worker to wait for money. I would appreciate if the Minister of State could seek clarity as to whether the Government's position on that has changed in the meantime.
The Bill extends protections to the most vulnerable workers, including sole traders and those on low pay. It promises that when businesses shut up shop suddenly employees are not forgotten about and it ensures that they do not have to bear the burden alone. For this reason I welcome the Bill, but I remain steadfast that workers' rights must be strengthened at all times.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-04/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:43+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-04