The Government is to seek funding from the European Coal and Steel Community to boost the redundancy payments for the 407 Ispat workers who lost their jobs last month.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, said last night officials from her department will meet ECSC representatives inBrussels tomorrow.
"At a meeting with representatives of the workers of Irish Ispat, I informed them that Government had approved, at my request, a proposalto seek funding from the ECSC to enhance the statutory entitlements of redundant workers of Irish Ispat," she said.
"There is a precedent as this type of assistance has been made available in the past to employees in the Irish steel industry who have lost their jobs."
Ms Harney said she was hopeful money would be secured for the former workers at the Cork plant.
The Government has agreed to match any funds provided from Europe with a similar amount of Exchequer funds, she said.
The move comes after the liquidator deemed there were only sufficient funds to pay employees the bare minimum oftheir statutory entitlements to redundancy and arrears of wages, holiday pay and minimum notice.
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