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

Section 6 provides that the first ministerial order made under the Bill will not reduce the number of statutory sick leave days. Subsection (2)(a)(i) provides that no ministerial order will reduce the number of statutory sick leave days below three. This means that once the Bill is enacted and commenced, the number of statutory sick leave days can never go below three. The effect of the amendment would be that the number of sick leave days provided could never be reduced. I have set out the four-year plan and there are currently no plans to reduce the number of sick leave days provided for under the Bill. I have been very clear about our intention to move to ten days over time.

I acknowledge the arguments the Deputies make. If the Minister were to reduce the number of days by order, that order could be rescinded by the Dáil, but I take the point they make. It certainly would not be the intention of this Minister - nor do I think of any future Minister - to go backwards in terms of the number of sick leave days, and if they were to do so, perhaps they should do so by primary legislation rather than by order. On that basis, I can accept the amendment.

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