Mr. John King:

I thank the Deputy for the question. The reality is that healthcare workers and healthcare assistants who are employed directly by the HSE have a sick pay scheme and receive sick pay benefits under that. That is not the case in the private sector, particularly the private nursing home sector, where they do not have any advanced or reasonable collectively bargained pay, terms and conditions of employment that include sick pay schemes. That is also the case in the contract services sector, which does not deliver direct healthcare but does essential work to ensure healthcare can be delivered safely. This sector includes security, cleaning, private contractors and so on. The vast majority of them does not have a sick pay scheme. In such categories, there are very high percentages that do not have sick pay schemes.