Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank ISME and ICTU for their presentations. I apologise if some of my questions have already been asked. Unfortunately, I was delayed at another event.

My first question is for Mr. McDonnell and ISME. I very much welcome the fact that ISME supports the call for the statutory right to sick pay in this country. That is progress, but I am not sure that the demand that employers pay nothing towards it stands up to scrutiny. I am struck that his predecessors would have made the very same argument against paid annual leave 70 or 80 years ago, before we had a right to paid annual leave in this country. My understanding is that there are three types of employers. There are employers who can afford to pay sick pay, and do. There are employers who can afford to pay sick pay and choose not to. Then there is a cohort of employers who are just about getting themselves back up on their feet at the moment and are obviously struggling to make ends meet.

What research has been undertaken by ISME on the affordability issue? Mr. McDonnell talks about the costs to an employer from a statutory right to sick pay. What share of firms would require temporary replacement cover if a person falls ill? In some organisations two people have to do the job of three people if somebody is out sick. In other firms, that is simply not possible. What share of his membership require temporary replacement cover? Of the member organisations of ISME, what is the average number of sick days among their workforce on an annual basis? Does he have any idea of that? We need to understand what is going on within his representative body in order to take his concerns seriously. I take his concerns seriously, but we need to see the research from within the organisation upon which they are based in order to be able to better understand those concerns.