Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

The proposed amendment which has been ruled out of order seeks to move beyond the scope of the requirements contained in the directive. The directive seeks only to set a floor of entitlements in respect of basic working and employment conditions. Article 3.2 allows member states, in their national law, to determine the definition of pay, as well as other elements. Under Article 5.4, member states are asked to specify whether elements such as pensions, sick pay, etc., are included in basic working and employment conditions. Given the scope of the directive, this extends only to basic working and employment conditions. It is not the Government's intention to move beyond either the spirit or intent of the directive, particularly at a time when we face such challenges in the labour market.

I may be obliged to defer to the officials on Senator Mary Ann O'Brien's point.