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

I do not feel I am being cagey at all. A number of important rights have to be initiated through this legislation. There is DSGBV leave. We have to make the changes to the availability to access breast-feeding breaks. We have to do significant work on the right to request remote working. A code of conduct has to be drawn up by the WRC. We have to do some work on flexible working and carer's leave as well. When I engaged with the social partners, they said we need to stagger this and we cannot bring it all in at once. In fairness, the unions said this as much as employers. That was in the context of sick pay coming in at the start of this year. I will look to stagger this. I can bring in some provisions early such as the breast-feeding breaks and the five days' carer's leave. I hope that by the end of the summer we will have a clear indication of the rate and we will look by end of summer or perhaps the start of the next Dáil term to make that leave available. That is the goal I am working towards.

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