Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support the principle of the motion. It is vital that we review the illness supports available to workers at this point and work towards a sustainable sick pay regime for all workers. It is important that there be consultation with the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, the unions and those representing the employers. That would be prudent. For that reason, I will be supporting the amendment.

It is remarkable that Ireland is one of only five countries in the European Union in which employees have no statutory right to be paid by their employer if they are absent from work due to illness. There is generally no legal right to be paid while on sick leave from work in this country. During the pandemic, employers do not have to pay workers who are sick with Covid unless it is part of a contract of employment. This needs to change, particularly because workers in certain sectors may choose to go to work if they are unpaid when sick with Covid. Dr. Ronan Glynn effectively said the introduction of sick pay and the pandemic unemployment payment was important in helping to prevent the spread of Covid-19. His recommendation was that the Government consider sick pay.

Meat packers have low levels of access to sick pay. There have been high rates of Covid among them. Those working in the childcare sector have low pay. Secretaries in schools have low pay and do not have good conditions or benefits. All these workers must not feel pressurised to attend work while sick.

We must acknowledge the disproportionate burden that falls on mothers when it comes to caring for children while ill or restricting movement. In so many families in Kildare and the rest of the country, both parents have to work, and a sick child create serious problems in the household. Grandparents would traditionally have stepped in to help but many such grandparents are now cocooning or are understandably unwilling to take a chance on exposing themselves to the virus. Therefore, parents are out of options on childcare and many must rely on taking annual leave to stay at home with a sick child.

I am aware of the need to be mindful of not imposing additional burdens on businesses struggling to keep the lights on right now. Business owners in the events industry and in the hospitality, tourism and transport sectors are just some of those struggling to survive. They could not take on any extra costs at present. The current regime for sick pay was not designed for the current pandemic, nor was the parental leave system. Therefore, we must be keenly aware of the circumstances of the workers and of the need to improve their rights and conditions. We must also think about workers, such as those in Debenhams, who cannot go out sick because they do not have a job to go out sick from. Debenhams has treated its workers really badly. I look forward to the measures the Government will introduce to ensure such circumstances will not arise again.

Access to sick pay is really important so I am glad to hear the Government is working towards a sustainable sick pay regime. The consultation that has been mooted is important. It is important that it happens as soon as possible so we can adopt a system that is fair to everybody.