Officials fail to seek repayment of €300m

Almost €300m in taxpayers’ money has been potentially lost by the State because officials have repeatedly failed to reclaim vital funds given to insolvent companies under redundancy debt relief.

The situation has been revealed in an unpublished Department of Social Protection internal audit report, which has also warned some firms have received the help without showing clear “financial proof” they legitimately need it.

Details obtained by RTÉ’s This Week programme show Tánaiste Joan Burton’s department currently has no formal policy to reclaim the funds, which are given to companies when the State is forced to step in and fund employee redundancy if bosses cannot afford to pay.