STAFF OF AN Irish home and motor insurance underwriting firm have lost their jobs and have reportedly been left without pay as the company has entered liquidation.

FootPrint Underwriting is an underwriting agency that distributes insurance policies working with providers and brokers across the country.

Throughout its lifetime, the firm worked with a network of Irish insurance brokers including First Ireland, Chill Insurance, and Campion Insurances.

The firm’s official site describes the company as one of Ireland’s top underwriting agencies, and says it offers a range of competitive insurance products with “market leading cover and service”.

Earlier this month The Journal reported that FootPrint had informed brokers that it had ceased trading and that no more policies were to be sold in connection with the firm.

Brokers were left in the dark about the future of the company, and what to tell existing policyholders who were pursuing claims and renewals, as nothing had been said publicly.

The Central Bank at the time said that customers of the firm would remain fully insured, and that providers had been reminded of their existing responsibilities to policyholders.

One of the country’s top restructuring and insolvency firms, Interpath, is now overseeing the liquidation of the company with Kieran Wallace and Andrew O’Leary appointed in recent days to lead the process. The liquidators had no involvement in the decisions around redundancies or the reported non-payment of wages. 

Staff at FootPrint attended a liquidation meeting on Monday of this week and raised concerns about their outstanding pay from December.

One former employee told The Journal that staff were issued with payslips on 23 December, but that no money had ever arrived. Staff had already had concerns at that point, the staff member said, as they had been told to work from home during December.

Employees were contacted on 31 December by managing director Simon Richards, the source said, who informed them that the company was closing down. 

The source said that the process of applying for social welfare support was complicated by the fact that they had received payslips for December, but no actual payment. 

“People are desperately trying to find jobs at the moment, but it is very difficult,” an employee said.

A spokesperson for RDJ Solicitors told The Journal on behalf of FootPrint: “It would not be appropriate to comment on matters while the legal process is ongoing. The joint liquidators are progressing their statutory role and will communicate directly with affected parties.”

The Central Bank said in a statement when the company ceased trading: “Footprint Underwriting DAC is an intermediary which distributes policies for insurance firms, any customer remains fully insured under their existing policy.

“We are engaging with these insurers to remind them of their responsibilities to customers.”

The statement added that customers who have questions should contact their broker.

FootPrint’s financial statements for the year ending 30 September 2024 show that it had a turnover of €1,869,209. The reasons for entering liquidation have not been made public.