Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

I wish to address a matter that has been raised by other Members, namely, the cost of sick pay to the public sector and the taxpayer. This issue was highlighted on several radio stations this morning on foot of the response to a parliamentary question raised by a Deputy in the other House. On last night's Adjournment Debate I spoke about the proposed transfer of sick pay costs from the Department of Social Protection to employers. If the Government agrees this proposal, employers who are already under pressure to sustain employment, provide services and play their part in economic growth and recovery will face an unjustifiable, unfair and discriminatory cost. The response I received on the Adjournment Debate was very poor and it was unfair to employers.

I do not refer to multinationals; I refer to the shopkeeper or barber who may employ two or three people and to the country's chambers of commerce. I call for the Minister for Social Protection to come to the House to discuss her proposals for targeting employers and those who are employed in small businesses. We need an urgent debate on this issue because it is unfair at a time when absenteeism is not being addressed in the public sector that absenteeism in the private sector is going to be passed onto employers. It is time the Minister woke up to the reality that faces a private sector which employs almost 1 million people in this country. It is justifiable to ask the Minister to come before the House prior to the summer recess.