Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am very pleased to speak on this Bill, which will have a tangible impact on workers across the State. I commend the Tánaiste and his Department, as well as the Oireachtas committee, for engaging in significant work on this subject matter. I thank them for their efforts. The introduction of this Bill will, for the first time, ensure that sick pay is put on a statutory footing and will allow all employees to avail of sick leave owing to illness or injury, which is to be welcomed.

I had an opportunity to read the report of the Oireachtas committee and the explanatory memorandum accompanying the Bill but I regret I did not have an opportunity to read the Bill itself. I have a question on the entitlement and the time it takes to avail of this provision, once introduced, which is 13 weeks.

Perhaps in his summation the Tánaiste will clarify whether he means 13 weeks from the start of that employment or from entry into the workforce.

The Bill provides for the phased introduction of statutory sick pay in Ireland over the coming years, ultimately rising to ten days per annum by 2026. This will allow employers, particularly the small and medium enterprises that have a significant foothold in the Irish economy, to plan accordingly. The last time I checked there were approximately 700,000 of them and there are probably a lot more now given there are more than 2.2 million people in the workforce. Importantly, this method will reduce the cost burden on employers to the greatest extent possible. This is of particular importance in the context of the previous two years, when we saw small and medium businesses around the country limited in their ability to operate in a normal way. In such a situation we should be mindful of introducing measures in a fashion that further complicates their recovery in the post-pandemic period.

While there may be continued criticism from the Opposition of my party, this criticism rings hollow and is unfounded when the record is checked. Since entering Government in 2011, Fine Gael has defended workers and their rights and sought to enhance their ability to keep more of their earnings. We were laughed at when my colleague, Deputy Bruton, who spoke a few minutes ago, launched the Action Plan for Jobs, setting out 100,000 jobs by 2016. If memory serves me, we surpassed this in 2015. In the years since the financial crash, my party has been pivotal in the recovery of jobs and the economy in Ireland. We knew then, as we know now, that if we were to be successful in this goal, we needed to bring workers of all backgrounds and income levels with us. This is why under this Government and previous governments, the minimum wage has been increased on eight separate occasions. It now stands at its highest level in the history of the State, marking a significant increase from the level inherited in March 2011.

We have increased maternity and paternity benefits, allowing parents to spend more time at home when it matters most. We have enhanced the treatment benefit scheme through which people can access dental, optical and aural treatments and services. We ensured that for the first time benefits were opened up to the self-employed. We also achieved our commitment to equalise the tax treatment of self-employed people, marking a transformative change to the lives of so many in our communities. We also delivered public sector pay restoration and recovery from the worst economic crash in the history of the State, when many doubted we could do so.

I am eagerly anticipating the publication of a study, commissioned by the Government, on the introduction of a living wage in Ireland, which I heard the Tánaiste reference. He has received it and will be considering it with the Minister of State, Deputy English, over the Easter recess. In recent days, we have seen the introduction of a pilot scheme that will see €325 paid to artists on a weekly basis as part of a basic income. This scheme will benefit an initial 2,000 artists as part of the arts and culture recovery task force recommendations. It is another example of something Fine Gael and our partners in government, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, have prioritised. We have also recognised that the nature of work has been changing for some time. The notion of remote working, while on the rise in recent years, was dramatically increased by the pandemic. Earlier this year we saw the introduction of the Right to Request Remote Work Bill. This is bolstered by the right to disconnect, which the Tánaiste introduced last year.

As we look towards the future, we can also recognise that how people enter the workforce to begin with is in need of modernisation. This is why the Government is investing heavily in apprenticeship schemes that will allow thousands of people every year to reskill, upskill or find their vocation. In doing so, it will drive job creation in well-paid positions, building green sectors and new technological sectors in the years ahead. I am very proud to play a part in this as a member of the Oireachtas education committee, working with the Ministers, Deputies Harris and Foley.

These are but a few of the policies that Fine Gael in government, along with our partners Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, have initiated during our time in office. It is unequivocal that we are on the side of workers and that we, as a party, support the dignity of work and fairness in employment opportunity. We are a party that supports workers of all backgrounds and in all industries. In the process, we have enhanced what others have characterised as one of the most equitable taxation system in the world. The future of our economy and our country can only thrive if we achieve our goals together. I very much look forward to progressing the rights of workers even further in the lifetime of the Government.

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