Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We saw just how exposed we are due to the absence of sick pay in some sectors. The meat processing industry is probably the most high profile of these. It is a wet industry and an environment where colds and flus are very prevalent. Obviously this has fed into the risk that goes beyond the industry to the individuals themselves and to society generally. This is unlikely to change before next year.

The Minister mentioned sharing the cost and I ask him to expand on this. Was there anything in the budget about the State side? Most public servants will be covered but not the totality, particularly people subbing in and possibly people employed on an agency basis.

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