Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely not. We are supporting both workers and businesses. We have a legal requirement to have regard to the potential impact of making an order to vary the number of sick days. For that reason, the Minister, Peter Burke, the Minister of State, Dara Calleary, and I have asked the ESRI to provide data so we can make an evidence-based, informed decision because that is what responsible decision-making looks like.

We know businesses are struggling and that is why last week we announced a new package of measures. Grants are being paid out, and they are being paid out even today as we sit here. As I already outlined, we have invested hugely in workers' rights, especially in the past two years, by introducing statutory sick pay, increasing the national minimum wage and introducing the right to request to work from home, which is only possible because of the broadband plan Sinn Féin voted against, and the right to disconnect. We have invested hugely in employers because we know they are the people who provide jobs for workers and we need workers to have good, fair, transparent working conditions. That is what we are delivering.

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