Dr. Laura Bambrick:

The cost would not be split like that. The easiest way to think about the cost was provided by the Department of Social Protection officials who estimate that every week of employer-funded statutory sick pay would save the Social Insurance Fund €35 million. The way the cost would be divvied up would depend on the length of time the obligation is on the employers to pay sick pay. If the statutory scheme is going to be two weeks, that means €17 million a year. If it is going to be four weeks, it is going to be double that. The length of the obligation on employers to pay statutory sick pay will determine the cost of the scheme.