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

That is what happened at the Fine Gael Árd-Fheis. That is what was reported. Now, in the Dáil, the Minister responsible has refused to clarify or give some reassurance to workers on whether the number of sick pay days are going to increase or not. That is scandalous. Workers have a right to know. The Minister cannot just fly a kite in the interests of the employers by telling them not to worry, we are going back to the basics and the blueshirt tradition of supporting big business against workers, and then refuse to clarify for workers whether they are going to be able to get the sick pay they are entitled to.

Let us look at the agenda of these people. Neil McDonnell, the chief executive of the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association, ISME, said that five days' sick pay is perfectly adequate. For whom is it perfectly adequate? It is not adequate for a seriously ill worker, nor even for an average worker. Anyone who gets Covid-19 is required by the HSE to self-isolate for a minimum of five days. That means the person's annual sick leave is gone in one go. The next time that person is ill, he or she will be forced to go to work despite being sick. Workers need reassurance. The Minister should be able to answer the question clearly today and say he intends to go ahead with sick leave increases. However, it appears he is not willing to do that.

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