Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On our amendment, the circumstances are frustrating. It is a bit like talking to a residents’ group about a planning application in that what is in the planning application is what matters. What is in the legislation is what matters, not what the Minister of State said here or what the Tánaiste said, or what is said in any media interview about aspirations. If it is in the legislation, it is in the legislation. No Minister will be in breach of the law or regulations if he or she still stands over three sick-leave days in five, ten or 15 years, because it will be covered by the legislation. That is it. The Minister of State may aspire to increase the number to ten but it is not written down. That is not how we do business.

It almost feels as if the Government views the sickness of an employee in terms of how it affects the employer rather than the employee. That is not how we should do our business, I contend. Following on from what Deputy Paul Murphy said, how did the Government come up with the number of days? How does it equate with the European norm? How are we supposed to do our legislative work if aspirations uttered by Ministers are not written down in black and white?