Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, the Taoiseach spoke about the EU's co-ordination efforts in terms of Covid-19. I hope he will agree that in addition to the specific healthcare and services co-ordination in terms of data, expertise and a vaccine, the Taoiseach and his European counterparts are also discussing the wider economic and social challenges that undoubtedly will need to be addressed. These are things that play an immediate and constant role in the everyday lives of people, things that can and should ensure the common challenges facing all of the peoples of Europe can be addressed collectively by their political leaders.

Social solidarity will prove crucial if we are to overcome Covid-19 and keep down infection rates. We have been living with the pandemic for eight months and we will be living with it for some time to come. There is now a very real demand from people for domestic, European and global strategies to tackle the challenges ahead. The strategies need to put social cohesion at their core. Once agreed, leaders need to ensure the path ahead is properly and wholly communicated. Critical issues such as job insecurity and job creation must not only be dealt with but prioritised by member states. Of course, there are some areas where member states are ahead of Ireland and the provision of sick pay is just one example. We have seen throughout the pandemic those employed in precarious sectors attending work for fear of losing pay or losing their job. The absence of a mandatory sick pay scheme in Ireland lags behind other EU states and that this provision remains at an employer's discretion really makes very little sense in a modern economy and is positively dangerous in the grip of a global pandemic. Perhaps the Taoiseach will update us on the Cabinet committee's wider Covid-19 responses and strategic discussions in terms of a cohesive European response to the social challenges and the economic challenges in the months and years ahead.

See this speech in context