Iarnród Éireann has denied that it has deferred staff redundancies because of difficulties in funding redundancy packages of up to €130,000 each.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed that 17 staff who were due to take voluntary severance over the coming days and weeks will be forced to delay their departures.
This is despite the fact that the company is seeking up to 450 redundancies as part of a cost reduction programme.
The company said the redundancies were being deferred to ensure a "phasing of funding for cash flow management" - and to preserve continuity of service.
However, a spokesperson said Irish Rail rejected suggestions that the company might have had any problem with access to funding from its banks to fund redundancy lump sums capped at a maximum of €130,000 each.
Meanwhile, the company also confirmed that a number of executives "in single digits" had left under a separate more generous redundancy scheme established last year which pre-dated the current scheme.
It's understood executives were entitled to a package totalling up to one and a half times their annual salary.
The present scheme is capped at €130,000 per employee.
Apart from 450 redundancies over 4 years, the €45m cost cutting programme includes changes in work practices, and cuts in allowances, overtime, sick leave and other entitlements.
At present 160 staff have agreed exit terms. 43 have already gone, 17 were due to leave over the coming days and weeks, with around 100 awaiting confirmation of an exit date.
However, SIPTU official Paul Cullen confirmed that some of the staff involved were told within a week of their scheduled exit date that they could not be released.
One staff member complained to RTÉ that they had been told that a post retirement holiday that was already booked would have to be taken on the employee's own time - as they had already used up their leave entitlement ahead of the exit date given to them by the company.
However the company spokesperson said that because the redundancies had been delayed by Irish Rail, the staff involved would be given paid leave to take pre-booked holidays.
