Rose Conway-Walsh Demands Action Over Fastway Workers Left Unpaid
Rose Conway-Walsh raised urgent concerns about Fastway workers, subcontractors and franchisees being left unpaid during a 30-day receivership and demanded ministers take immediate action. She pressed the minister for precise steps to protect workers, small businesses and road haulage companies and to ensure 50,000 parcels are delivered to awaiting customers.
Workers' immediate situation
They were told they will not be paid during the 30-day receivership period. Some are outside the gate and others are in the gallery with Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy. They cannot apply for another job, cannot get job seekers allowance and are afraid to take supplementary welfare without written confirmation that it will not affect their redundancy. It is eight weeks before Christmas.
Parliamentary challenge
Rose Conway-Walsh questioned how companies can operate in this way and asked what ministers are doing to protect the affected workers, small businesses and road haulage companies who have suffered acute losses. She pressed the Deputy Minister directly and said time was up for a response, calling for active ministerial engagement.
Minister's response
The minister acknowledged the workers present and expressed regret about what has happened in recent days. He explained that receivership is a long-standing legal mechanism and highlighted the independence of the receivership process when a company enters into it.
Departments' actions and legal limits
The minister said the Department of Social Protection is engaging directly with the receivers in light of the information that has emerged, and that the Department of Enterprise has received a collective redundancy notification. He noted limitations around the independence of the receivership process but confirmed both departments have been notified and engagement is ongoing.
Impact on customers and businesses
Rose Conway-Walsh emphasised the operational and commercial consequences, including acute losses to road haulage companies and the problem of roughly 50,000 parcels still awaiting delivery to customers. The speech framed these issues as urgent welfare and logistical problems requiring resolution.
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Minister, Fastway workers, subcontractors and franchisees were left high and dry last week. Some of them are outside the gate today and some of them are here in the gallery today with Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy. They were told they will not be paid during the 30-day receivership period. It is eight weeks before Christmas. They cannot apply for another job. They cannot get job seekers allowance. They are afraid to take supplementary welfare allowance. Without having written confirmation that that will not affect their redundancy. There are serious questions to be asked here, Minister, around how we can allow companies to operate like this in the first place. But can you tell me today what precisely your ministers are doing to protect these workers, the small businesses, the road haulage companies who have suffered acute losses? And what are you going to do to get the 50,000 parcels delivered to customers who are awaiting those parcels? Minister, your ministers have to be active in this space. Time's up, Deputy Minister, to respond. Thanks very much, Deputy. I just want to acknowledge all the workers who are here and regret what's after happening in the last number of days. I know how concerning and difficult it is for everyone involved. To answer your question, as you know, receivership is a long-standing legal mechanism around the independence of how it functions when a company enters into that particular process. I was asked by this by Deputy Murphy yesterday. The Department of Social Protection is engaging directly with the receivers in the context of the information that's emerged. A collective redundancy notification has been received by the Department of Enterprise as well. There are limitations around the independence of receivership process, but the two respective departments, one has been notified and the other is engaging directly and that work is ongoing, obviously, in the context of what is emerging. Thank you, Minister. Deputy Ivana Batchik. Thank you.
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