Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste's arguments in favour of sick pay and why it is good are all arguments for allowing workers to have sick pay for the days they are sick. That is the bottom line. They are also arguments in favour of amendment No. 18 which proposes to decrease the limits on the actual number of days. If we were lucky enough to have a left Government - hopefully one with an eco-socialist programme - it could then decide not to take the snail-pace approach of the Government of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael but instead rapidly decide to move to at least ten days at the very limit.

We compare Ireland with some of our European colleagues. In Austria, workers are entitled to between ten and 16 weeks - not days - of paid sick leave on 100% pay. In the Netherlands, workers are entitled to up to 70% of their wages for up to two years. We are well behind Europe as a whole and even more behind the leaders in Europe in terms of basic issues in the sense that it is a workers' rights issue but also a public health issue. Again, while is welcome that we will have sick pay, it is a real shame that the Government is rejecting these amendments and taking such a minimalist, snail-pace approach to the introduction of sick leave.

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