Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

With respect, I have answered this question every time the Deputy has asked it. What we are introducing is a statutory minimum provision that will apply to all workers across all sectors. Obviously, in many sectors in both the public and private sphere, employers provide more than a statutory minimum, whether that is with regard to leave, pay or a variety of issues. What we are providing for here is a statutory minimum across all sectors. It is the first time we will have this in this State. We will be one of the first countries in the EU to have this paid leave. That is important. The Deputy makes the comparison with international best practice but it is important to remember that very few countries have actually taken the step we are taking in providing paid domestic violence leave. Some countries have more but some have more unpaid domestic violence leave. I think the Deputy and I, and everyone in this House, are in agreement on the necessity of this being a paid provision. That is what we are introducing. Of course, we will also have a review after two years to look at how it is being implemented. One of the things that I have no doubt will be considered at that stage is whether there is a need to increase the number of days. This is an important first step in the provision of paid leave and is one that has been welcomed by unions, DSGBV groups and the NGOs that work in this sector.

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