Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This Government has actually been supporting workers and we have a very strong record on strengthening and introducing workers' rights. In January 2023, we introduced statutory sick pay entitlement for all workers, which provides a crucial safety net to protect workers who become ill. It again underscores our commitment to the welfare and well-being of our workforce. From 1 January this year the number of statutory sick leave days increased from three to five. The Deputy will be aware that in February of last year we introduced a new permanent public holiday, St. Brigid's Day, which brings the number of public holidays in Ireland to ten. We also have the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 that provides employees with the right to request a remote working arrangement with their employer, recognising the changing dynamics of the modern workplace. We also have the European Union (Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions) Regulations 2022 and the Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Act 2022 . Furthermore, we are developing the auto-enrolment initiative, which will benefit hundreds of thousands of workers who do not have adequate pension cover. We introduced the concept of the living wage and the convergence of the minimum wage with the living wage has been quite significant as evidenced by the increase in the minimum wage last year.

There are many workers across the country who work in small businesses and who work in the retail and hospitality sector. I am sure the Deputy has been inundated with representation from people working in shops, restaurants and so on who are saying to the Government and the Oireachtas that cumulatively this has had an impact on small businesses as they emerge from Covid. It is legitimate that we introduce measures to try to help the hospitality and retail sectors. They have focused on the increased costs of business, ICOB, scheme, which is the contribution to businesses being reopened with opportunities for those who received the first grant of a minimum of €5,000 so they could receive a second grant. That is the fundamental change. It will also raise the PRSI eligibility threshold to make sure the PRSI rate will not increase with the increase in the minimum wage for many small employers.

Those are the fundamental improvements that will help people and businesses in the short term, along with reviewing other mechanisms or issues. It is legitimate at least to review to determine the position. A record 2.7 million people are at work overall in our economy. In the past year alone, we added 90,000 jobs, and 550,000 jobs have been created since this Government took office, the point being that a balance needs to be struck between enabling people to have the most fundamental opportunity of all, which is the opportunity to work-----

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