Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy Harkin. I support this Bill introduced by the Labour Party. First, I wish to make an observation. We seem to have two Labour parties in Ireland, the one that we saw in government and the one that we see in opposition. In 2012, the Labour Party's Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, began a consultation process on her stated intention to introduce a mandatory sick pay scheme whereby employers would be responsible for the first four weeks of sick pay. The usual suspects raised objections. Deputy Coveney, on behalf of Fine Gael, said it would be a burden on business, and of course IBEC and the Small Firms Association objected. In 2014, the statutory sick pay waiting times were increased from three days to six days. This made Ireland unique in the EU, with statutory sick pay for the first week of illness being absolutely zilch, with nothing in people's pockets. That was introduced by Deputy Howlin. Instead of much-needed reform, we got yet another austerity measure.

The European Trade Union Confederation has shown in research that sickness benefits were cut by an average of 65% across the EU after the 2008 crash. Along with the cuts in public services, especially health services, and the outsourcing of community care and nursing homes, these cutbacks have significantly complicated the measures necessary to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

The fact that 80% of workers in meat plants do not have sick pay entitlement was a key factor in the outbreak of Covid in some of those plants. The lack of sick pay, as well as the danger of losing one's job, is a factor in one in four people not turning up for tests.

The widespread use of agency workers in community nursing home care, including workers employed as agency staff in the HSE itself, is also a significant problem. Again, young workers are most likely to be in precarious employment and in low-paid jobs with virtually no entitlements. We should look to the example of countries such as Norway, Luxembourg, Austria, Germany and Belgium where a 100% sick pay rate is paid by employers, provided there is a doctor's note, followed by lower payments paid by the State subsequently.

Employers in Ireland already benefit from the lowest level of employer PRSI, less than half the EU average. How can businesses in Europe maintain workers' rights and sick pay but it cannot be done in Ireland? Passing this Bill would be one of the steps necessary for a comprehensive response to the Covid crisis. Others would be a restoration of the pandemic unemployment payment and introducing a ban on evictions. I certainly will support the Bill.

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