Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

22. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment the details of all meetings with social partners with regard to proposals for statutory sick pay since taking office; the details of all social dialogue forums in which he has participated, in which statutory sick pay proposals were discussed; the details of all Government members and social partner representatives present for each such meeting; the schedule for remaining meetings in 2020 regarding the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29030/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have publicly stated my intention to establish a Statutory Sick Pay Scheme in full consultation with employers and unions. This will build on the various improvements that have been made to social protections for workers over the last five years, including paternity benefit, parental leave benefit and the extension of social insurance benefits to the self-employed and those in the gig economy. In addition, further significant benefits, including enhanced illness benefit, have already been introduced by the Government in response to Covid-19.

I presented a draft Issues Paper on statutory sick pay to the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) Sub-Group on Employment Legislation/Regulation on Wednesday 30th September with a view to commencing a consultation process. I requested that the social partners consider the range of issues and policy options set out in the paper and submit their views on the paper by 14th October. Representatives from ICTU, IBEC, Chambers Ireland and the Construction Industry Federation attended the meeting.

The views of the Social Partners will be taken on board and the revised Paper will then be discussed at a further meeting of the LEEF Sub-Group. It will then be presented to the plenary LEEF for agreement in advance of launching a full public consultation in November to complement the unions and employer groups input.