A Wexford-based foreign worker whose state-issued redundancy cheque of €4,400 was inadvertently sent to the wrong address and cashed by a neighbour, is to take his case to the Ombudsman after the Department of Enterprise "washed its hands of any responsibility".

Local Labour TD and leas Ceann Comhairle, Brendan Howlin, told the Sunday Tribune the case is particularly sad as the worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, is expecting his second child and the redundancy money was desperately needed to tide the family over while he looked for another job.

Howlin says that a Garda inquiry has identified the individual who received the redundancy cheque and illegally cashed it.

But labour affairs minister Dara Calleary refused Howlin's request for the Department of Enterprise to issue a replacement cheque.

"The position is that, in issuing the cheque to the claimant at the address supplied, my department has fulfilled its responsibility to the claimant," said minister Calleary.

It is understood the employer who laid off the worker had sent the required form to the department which then issues the redundancy cheque to the name and address given.

But while the name and the housing estate in Wexford were correct, the house number was wrong.

The department has "washed its hands of any responsibility," said Howlin.

"As the issuer of the cheque, the department should take some responsibility. This will happen again and there should be some procedure in place to address this," said the TD.