Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If we can get agreement on the report and its recommendations from the unions and the major employers, I would not feel the need to wait for the directive. If we cannot get agreement, it probably makes sense to wait on the directive. I should say that we are introducing five new workers' rights this year, including the new public holiday which has now been passed into law. We are going to introduce legislation on statutory sick pay in the Dáil today. We are still working on the right to request remote working, which requires some work. We have enacted the new redundancy rights for people who were laid off during the pandemic. I will sign the statutory instruments on that quite soon and the scheme will be up and running. We have also got legislation to better protect workplace tips. That legislation has passed through the Seanad. It may well be that a sixth and seventh new workers' right will be introduced this year, one in relation to collective bargaining and another in relation to living wage, but both of those are works in progress.

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