Portarlington man Josh Kiernan has worked as a Fastway franchise driver for over seven years. The 34 year old father of three was shocked to hear of Fastway's receivership, having paid €30,000 to the company for his delivery catchment area.

The driver claims he has received no official letter or email from Fastway to say his job is gone, and is unable to sign on to social welfare. He claims that he is down over €40,000, and that Fastway has told franchisers they will not receive any money back.

"I'm employed with Fastway through a rolling contract as a driver, I spent €30,000 buying my way into the company," Mr Kiernan told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

Pictured: Fastway delivery vehicles

"You buy an area that is exclusive to you, no other drivers can deliver in it. I have a couple of drivers working for me, and I employ a night sorter in the Fastway depot. We work four weeks behind, so that's standing at around €12,000 owed to me right now. I'm down over €40,000 since Fastway went into receivership," he said.

"On Tuesday I did a normal day's work, a double load after the Bank Holiday, and I was home around 4pm. Next thing I get a call from a girl in the office that the banks are there to shut it down," he said.

"It was at the end of our shifts, if we hadn't heard we would have shown up on Wednesday to the gates locked. I still haven't heard anything officially from Fastway."

"The workers in the warehouse are told they won't get their money until next year, meanwhile us drivers have been told to be on our merry ways. I've had to tell my workers to leave back their vans, they have houses and families to pay for. I'm 34 with my own business and mortgage, I have a seven year old child and nine month old twins. The twins are €200 each a week to feed and medicate alone, and I have sunk everything into this," he said.

Pictured: Fastway in Portarlington

"I can't pay the house, I can't pay the taxman back the business loan, Fastway have stolen our drivers from us over the last two years. We want our money back and we aren't going to get a cent. We're at home seeing the CEO who walked out two weeks ago, posting his new Porsche on Instagram," Mr Kiernan argued.

Over 200 franchisers took part in an online zoom call on Thursday with representatives overseeing the receivership process. Mr Kiernan said this call was 'uncivilised and chaotic'.

"It was useless, we were basically told we won't get a penny. It was 200 people in a call who all down thousands of euro, all shouting over each other with questions. The officials just left the call, and we all had to try work together to organise something," he said.

"We don't have a union it's just ourselves, and we're out of pocket with no resources to push anything. How can we pay a law firm to bring them to court?" Mr Kiernan said.

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"We have lost our lives that we have invested in this, and we have nowhere to turn. We have lost it all," he said.

"There are people worse off than me, some lads have five runs or ten runs, they could be owed over €100,000."

Mr Kiernan explained that rumours circulated in September that the company was facing financial struggles, which he and his coworkers questioned with management.

"We were told that we're the busiest we have ever been in two or three years, and told to 'keep her lit'. Now I'm completely screwed over," he said.

"I invested deeply, I bought the Portarlington run because it's my hometown, now all of the businesses who are screwed over are looking at me for answers. I'm left with tax bills and have had to hand back my vans. Fastway were selling runs up to last week," Mr Kiernan claimed.

Pictured: Fatway's receivership has left an estimated 300 people without jobs. File photo

"Fastway are one of an umbrella of companies, they owe the banks €90 million. How it got to this level without Government or bank intervention I don't know. It's madness and the Government should be ashamed," he said.

"I have been offered eight jobs since Tuesday, but I can't take any. I went into the social welfare office for the first time in my life this week, and I was told that nothing can be done for me. I've worked since I was 16," he said.

"I was speaking with my accountant this morning who is facing a two month backlog of end of year returns. Revenue are on my back, and I've had to ring the mortgage company today. I'm already in arrears, I was waiting for Christmas as that's when we make our most money. It has been a terrible year up to this," he said.

"I know that Fastway gets stick, but people might realise after this why the service wasn't that good, we were working as slaves for nothing," he said.

"We got 86 cent for each parcel delivered. I know a lot of guys with parcels who have just returned the parcels to local businesses of their own accord, because we don't believe Fastway will ever do it."

The Portarlington father claims that Fastway heads have taken 'no responsibility' in this receivership.

"Fastway only owned their logo and their name, they rented their buildings and machinery. They sold us the runs. They have no responsibility and are able to walk away back to the UK, with the money they have funnelled into their other businesses," he claimed.

"We won't get a penny. The Government could have intervened when it was €30 or €40 million," Mr Kiernan slammed.

"The Government has to do something for us, they allowed this to happen. Between the Government and AIB, they allowed €90 million to be siphoned off to the UK. The issue isn't just with Fastway closing, it's the face that the Government allowed this to happen. The taxman would be at my door over €5,000, nevermind €90 million." he said.

"We are the ones who put in thousands- without us, there was no company. We are left with nothing but debt and big bills," Mr Kiernan finished.

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