Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy makes a fair point about stress. I do not want to be flippant about it. Stress is a real issue for many public representatives. I assure the House that I have never had a more challenging job than the position I have held for the last two and a half years. That is true of whole sectors of the public service. People in my Department and in every front-line delivery system were under stress because our country was in a crisis as it tried to recover from the deterioration in its economic conditions. It was almost like a war. I do not intend to play that down. Absenteeism and sickness are not new phenomena. It would be interesting and instructive to look back at the figures for previous years. There were significant levels of absenteeism and illness in some sectors at the height of the wealth of the boom, when previous Ministers were saying the country was awash with money. It is important that we get better at managing our sick leave arrangements in a proactive manner. There is a responsibility on us to do that in a way that is reflective of the Labour Court recommendations. I would like to inform Deputy Boyd Barrett - this point was also referred to by Deputy Fleming - that I have circulated the critical illness protocol document, which sets out the criteria that will apply to determinations with regard to suitable recipients of critical illness payments. If Deputy Boyd Barrett has not had an opportunity to read that document, perhaps he might contact me so that I can ensure a copy finds its way to him.

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