John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Everyone agrees that expenditure needs to be reduced, but a statutory sick pay scheme cannot be introduced in isolation and cuts that have the least effect on unemployment need to be made.

I have an interesting statistic. According to ISME, the typical number of days lost per annum due to absenteeism in small firms is three compared to the massively inefficient figure of over 12 days in the public sector. The point I am making, which the Minister may have taken on board, is that it is the small to medium-sized businesses which are on the edge. I spoke here a few months ago about a family business whose owners worked 70 hours per week and took home €390 after they paid all their costs and VAT. They are barely surviving, so a small amount of extra costs on their business could turn it over. The same is applicable to businesses across the country.

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