Public Service recruitment embargo: end of contract = redundancy or not?

Savo1974

I wonder can anyone throw some light on this for me.
My 2-year fixed-term public service contract is set to end in February. In the normal course of events this would roll-over as there is a recognised logic to maintaining the position. However, the public service recruitment moratorium/embargo has transformed the landscape of my prospects.
I have been given my notice but with the stated hope that this can be overturned (up to the eleventh hour) given that all of the public organisations who I work directly for/with recognise the need to maintain the position (which is very specialised, kept more than busy, quite transparent in terms of public profile/visible outputs, and making up a very significant proportion of the human resources for a unit working from abroad for Irish interests) and have formally recommended accordingly. However, the ultimate decision has been sitting with someone in the Dept. of Finance for months now. I'm hugely concerned that their decision will not be based on proper evidence of merit given that the Dept has bigger fish to fry right now and unless I hear something constructive shortly I will be out on my ear.
If the worst comes to pass I'll have completed 104 weeks in this particular position. Anyone know if the fact that the advent of the moratorium has shanghied me could provide any meagre redundancy entitlement to somewhat soften the blow or is it a case of "good night and good luck" once the contract ends?
I could do with any sort of severance as not only would I be losing my job (like many in the private sector) but I've been forced to pay a pension levy (like someone in a secure job) for a pension I don't have so I feel as if I'm getting the sharp end of the recession from all sides.
My original contract mentioned being "subject to continued funding". In a big picture sense I suppose this is perhaps now a factor but the various public bodies who contribute to my salary are agreed that they would continue to do so if the moratorium can be sidestepped. The Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 does not apply to the expiry of the contract.
Thanks for any insight you can provide.

Deadalus

Well I wish I could give better news but pretty much everybody that was on a contract in my place has not had their contract extended. This included people here for 2+ years and there was no redundency given. I really hope you manage to get yours extended though. One person in the office managed to get his extended out of about 20 people so as long as you are important to the running of the organisation there is a chance you will be kept.

_Kaiser_

Well in my case, when my 4th fixed term contract ended (whereupon you'd normally automatically be entitled to a CID), I was instead left in limbo for a further 3 months (with no contract) until they decided that they definitely couldn't renew my contract (despite appealing to the Department twice) and made me redundant

What's worse is my job was becoming busier than ever as I'd already lost 1 staff member (out of 3 - including me) and now things are rapidly falling apart as a result (I was the IT manager)