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Former Clerys workers to get help with social welfare claims

Clerys went into liquidation last Friday
Clerys went into liquidation last Friday

Concession holders at Clerys were allowed access today to remove around €3 million worth of stock from the O'Connell Street building following the closure of the business last Friday.

The goods are expected to be moved to other outlets or included in a firesale.

The Department of Social Protection has been providing advice on expediting social welfare claims for former workers.

Provisional liquidator Eamonn Richardson and Kieran Wallace of KPMG confirmed that the 130 employees will get only basic statutory redundancy.

A company law review group will look at the closure of Clerys to see if it is appropriate that "some changes are made" to prevent such a situation arising again, according to the Taoiseach.

Enda Kenny was responding to Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams during Leaders' Questions in the Dáil this afternoon.

Mr Kenny said that, under Minister Richard Bruton, the review group will look at the issue and then report to the House.

He also said that the Department of Social Protection "will see to it there's no delay in processing due payments under redundancy scheme", so they can be claimed quickly.

A protest took place yesterday outside Clerys in support of workers who lost their jobs when the company went into liquidation last Friday.

Signatures were gathered on a petition calling for the new owners of Clerys to meet the workers.

SIPTU has said the Government must produce a legislative response to ensure the situation at Clerys can never arise again.