Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not know whether it was an order of the House which decided how much time each of us will get, but even though it is seven minutes, I will try to be brief. This section deals with the injury benefit and Deputy Creighton's interesting proposal does not relate to the specifics of this section, but is an insertion of a different issue altogether. We have already had a very brief discussion - due to the guillotine - about the illness benefit in section 4. Both of these benefits are being cut to the same extent. The number of days without payment is being doubled from three to six, and that represents a cut of €112.80. Those who are ill and those who are injured are going to suffer the consequences of that cut because there is no entitlement to statutory sick pay. In some cases, the sick person would cover the cost and in other cases it is the employers who would do so. We have heard quite a lot about employers struggling to retain jobs and the cost of that.

This is a blunt revenue raising issue and it gives the lie to what was contained in the programme for Government that this Government would protect the vulnerable. Who is more vulnerable than those who are sick or ill in our society? I am reminded of the old slogan that the cuts would hurt the old, the sick and the handicapped, but in this Bill it is the young, the old, the pregnant, the disabled and those who are injured and ill in our society. I reject this section in its entirety and I believe it should be removed.

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