Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Again, I welcome that the Minister is proactive in respect of engaging with the stakeholders. We know that 79% of early years professionals do not have a sick pay scheme at work. People may not make the link between testing for Covid-19 and a sick pay scheme but if there is a sick pay scheme in situ that is embedded within the system, it gives comfort largely to parents who we are talking about across the sector. There is a Labour Party Bill on a sick pay scheme for all workers but for this sector in particular, it gives comfort to the professionals working within it that they can avail of such a scheme if it were available. As I said, 79% of early years professionals do not have a sick pay scheme at work. If we are talking about continuing professional development, CPD, and embedding more formalisation of the sector in Irish society, this has to become one of the bulwarks for ensuring that workers are looked after.

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