Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I think we are in danger of losing our way on this a little. Sick pay is a very important instrument of public health. For employers who may struggle to pay even the modest amount of sick leave provided for in the Bill, which will increase further as time goes on, there is a benefit to them that I do not believe we are considering. When a sick person comes into the workplace and makes other people in the workplace sick, it creates a bigger problem. We should come at this from the perspective that it a necessary public health intervention.

I join previous speakers in saying fair play to the Tánaiste for bringing this legislation forward. We may have an issue with some of its elements but the facts that it is before the House and we are having this debate are very much to the Tánaiste's credit. I am not saying the money is not important - of course it is - but the cost of not doing this could be multiples of the money that will be spent on it.

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