Joe Conway (Independent)

In this House we often hear on a quotidian basis about groups which are discriminated against. I want to talk about a very small cohort of people in our country who are discriminated against in matters of employment and remuneration, that is, our 950 sitting county councillors. They must be the only cohort of workers in this country that are not recognised for payment of sick leave benefit.

I always eschew the sad stories that people tell about their own cases and using the House for that but, just to point out that in 2018 I had surgery and I was advised by my consultant to take complete rest for three months. I did and, as the House can see, I am a fine, fighting-fit figure of a lad at this stage. It came as a great shock to me in mid-spring 2019 that my representative allowance was cut by Waterford City and County Council. That was not anything the council wanted to do, but simply because it was provided for in the rules. I think 43 of us in this Chamber are elected by these self-same people. The vast majority of Senators have a moral duty to those people who elect them to make sure they do not continue to be the only people in this State who are disadvantaged because they get sick. The Leader often tells us that the Order of Business is not the right time to raise this and to table a Commencement matter. I tried to do that but maybe I did not nuance the words as well. I promise, maybe with the Leader's support, I will make a Commencement matter request and I will nuance the wording because I asked about county councillors being disadvantaged because they got sick. That is really the essence of this.