I am pleased to present to this House the Carer's Leave Bill, 2000. I am confident the Bill is not only a first in Ireland but in Europe where the State, through the provision of carer's leave, will allow people to take temporary leave from their employment for up to 15 months or 65 weeks to look after persons in need of full-time care and attention.
Today, people's expectations are far different from what they were ten or even five years ago. With our booming economy, people's quality of life has improved immensely and they now have more disposable income. The number in employment has risen from 1.22 million in 1994, to 1.71 million today, an increase of 490,000 or just over 40%. Allied to this is the fact that there are some 283,000 part-time employees in the workforce, with the majority of these being women. All these healthy and welcome developments have created a new scenario in society, that is, that of balancing the needs and demands of the workplace with those similar needs and demands outside it. This is sometimes described as the formulation of "family friendly" policies.
Why do we need these "family friendly" policies? In an Irish context, the answer is quite simple. The family has and will continue to be the cornerstone on which our society is built. The Government is committed to continually reviewing our policies on how to successfully marry the changing needs of the workplace with the ever growing demands of family life. We all know that there has been a very significant rise in participation by women at work outside the home. However, if we do not address caring issues or how family and work responsibilities are managed, this new situation may end up being a source of stress to many and lower their overall quality of life.
Family friendly workplace arrangements can address this issue if they are effectively applied. They must be applied in a way that brings no negative consequence to the career prospects of those who take them up. This is vital. If not, all we will do will be to address inequalities in labour market participation but also worsen inequalities in labour market position and career.
For employers, these benefits include retention of skilled staff, reduced absenteeism, improved productivity and a more highly motivated workforce. Employees, on the other hand, benefit through greater prospects to better balance their working and family lives, greater equality of opportunity between men and women and a fairer sharing of family responsibilities between men and women. Alongside the labour market and business case is the very compelling equality case for family friendly work arrangements.
The Carer's Leave Bill, taken with the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Bill, 2000, which I hope to bring to Committee Stage shortly and the extended maternity and adoptive leave entitlements bear testament to the Government's commitment to fostering family friendly arrangements which are in harmony with the needs of our dynamic and enterprising economy. As we move into the new millennium, life expectancy is increasing. As a consequence, major demographic changes in terms of the age profile of our population are happening on an ongoing basis.
In order to address these concerns the Government has already provided that pension costs for future generations will be met, in part, from some of our current budget surplus. This initiative, overseen by the National Treasury Management Agency, has been widely welcomed as being innovative and far-reaching. In the same vein, we must also look at other initiatives which are needed to cater for the needs of an ageing population.
One such area is that of caring for our sick and elderly. Down through the years so many people have made and continue to make time available to care for our sick and elderly, be they caring for children, parents, grandparents, relatives or indeed just good neighbours or friends. As a people, we have always tried to provide sick and elderly people in our community with the privacy and dignity they required in times of need, most particularly in the final months and days of terminally ill people. Many people give freely of their time in this regard without much recourse to the State coffers. However, because of rising caring costs there has been recognition by the State that a form of income support is needed to assist and facilitate those people who want or are required to care for persons on a short-term basis.
It was against this background of fostering for future generations the culture of caring for each other that the Government announced its intention in the 2000 budget to introduce a new insurance-based carer's benefit scheme. This scheme was introduced by my colleague, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, with effect from 26 October 2000. The main criteria used by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs for entitlement to payment of carer's benefit of £96.50 per week, plus child dependant allowances, are laid out as follows.
An employee qualifies for carer's benefit if he-she satisfies the following criteria: is 16 years of age or over; satisfies the PRSI contribution conditions; has been in paid employment for the previous three month period; leaves his or her employment to provide full-time care to a person who has been certified as in need of full-time care and attention – this person is known as a "relevant person" under the Social Welfare Act, 2000; is not employed or self-employed outside the home during the period of receipt of the benefit, except as prescribed by regulations made by the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs; is living in the State; and is not living in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution.
With regard to "relevant person", the deciding officers or appeals officers of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs will decide, on the basis of a medical assessment carried out by that Department, having regard to information provided by the person's GP, whether the "relevant person" is in need of full-time care and attention.
The PRSI contributions required for a person claiming carer's benefit for the first time are that 156 contributions have been paid since entry into insurance and that the person must satisfy one of the following: 39 or more contributions paid in the governing contribution year; 39 or more contributions paid in the 12 months immediately before the commencement of the benefit; or 26 contributions paid in the current governing contribution year and 26 contributions paid in the previous governing contribution year. For second or subsequent claims the employee will simply be required to have been in paid employment for the previous 13-week period or have been in receipt of carer's benefit in that period.
An employee who is entitled to carer's benefit may engage in limited self-employment within the home or employment outside the home for up to ten hours per week. The employee may also pursue an educational or training course, or take up voluntary or community work for up to ten hours per week. During such absences, adequate provision must be made for the care of the relevant person. This entitlement was raised by a number of Deputies during the passage of the Bill through the Dáil and, as a consequence, this provision will be highlighted in explanatory literature to be made available to the public following the passing of the Bill.
This new insurance based carer's benefit scheme allows an employee who has been certified by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs as meeting the eligibility criteria for a carer to take temporary leave from his-her employment to look after a person in need of full-time care and attention. This new benefit will be paid for a period of up to 65 weeks – 15 months – to those who meet the qualifying contribution conditions outlined above.
The Government has decided that this carer's benefit scheme should be complemented by a statutory entitlement to carer's leave, hence the Bill before the House. I am giving the background to the involvement of the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and putting that involvement in context. We are coming to the point where my Bill enters the scenario. The provisions of this Bill will entitle employees to carer's leave, protect their employment rights over the period of the absence and allow them to return to their jobs. Carer's leave is not simply a complement to carer's benefit, it is a significant independent right.
The Carer's Leave Bill fulfils a Government commitment in budget 2000 and in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness that legislation would be introduced to provide for a carer's benefit payment scheme for certain employees with a parallel right to carer's leave for employees. In approving the drafting of this Bill, the Government directed that the provisions of the carer's benefit scheme and the carer's leave scheme should be harmonised as far as possible. To that end, in preparing this legislation, my officials and officials at the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs worked closely over a number of months with a view to aligning the two schemes and the respective application procedures.
In addition, we had detailed discussions with the social partners, the ICTU and IBEC, which both support the intent of the Bill. The ICTU and IBEC have both raised a number of issues, which are mainly of a technical nature. These issues have been considered in detail and have been the subject of a number of important amendments on Committee Stage in the Dáil.
The key features of the carer's leave scheme, as set out in the Bill, are as follows: the leave may be taken by any employee who satisfies the conditions set down in the Bill; the leave is for the purpose of personally providing full-time care to a person who is objectively assessed by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs – by deciding officers/appeals officers under the carer's benefit scheme – as being in need of full-time care and attention and as being a "relevant person"; subject to certain exceptions, the leave terminates when the employee ceases personally to provide the full-time care and attention to the relevant person, for example, where the care of that person is assumed by another person or institution other than in circumstances provided for; the employee must have been in the continuous employment of the employer from whose employment the leave is to be taken for at least 12 months before he/she can commence the leave and there is no minimum hours threshold; an employee may not be on carer's leave in respect of two or more relevant persons at any one time except where the two relevant persons reside together; only one employee may be on carer's leave in respect of the person being cared for, at any one time; an employee is entitled to a maximum of 65 weeks in respect of any one relevant person; the 65 weeks entitlement may be taken as a continuous period, or in separate unit periods, the aggregate duration of which does not exceed 65 weeks; an employer may refuse, on reasonable grounds given in writing, to permit an employee to take carer's leave for a period of less than 13 weeks; carer's leave is unpaid by the employer, but it is reckonable for the purposes of employment rights – other than superannuation and public holidays or annual leave entitlement beyond the first 13 week period of carer's leave in respect of any relevant person; an employer and the employee may agree to postpone, curtail or vary the leave in any way they so wish; disputes about certain entitlements under the Bill are, in general, referable to a rights commissioner, with a right of appeal to the Employment Appeals Tribunal; issues arising in relation to, in particular, whether the person in respect of whose care the leave is taken is a relevant person for the purposes of the Bill and whether an employee is providing the full-time care and attention as required by the Bill will be decided by a deciding officer of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, who will also carry out the assessments regarding relevant persons under the parallel carer's benefit scheme; and there is a right to appeal from a decision of a deciding officer, under the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993, to an appeals officer and the decision of a deciding officer, or a decision made on appeal from a decision of a deciding officer, given in writing, is to be taken as sufficient evidence of the fact of the decision.
In practice, what will happen under the provisions of the Bill is that employees wishing avail of carer's leave will be required to notify their employer six weeks before they intend to take the leave and produce evidence as soon as possible from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs that the relevant person, that is the person for whose care the leave is being taken, is in need of full-time care and attention. Applicants for carer's leave can then use an acknowledgement of receipt of their application from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs when they first approach their employer in regard to seeking carer's leave, not later than six weeks before they propose to commence the leave.
This acknowledgement from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs will constitute evidence for employers of the bona fides of the application by the employee for carer's leave. It will also ensure that applicants do not have to have two medical assessments carried out for carer's benefit and/or carer's leave.
The Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs has indicated that all claims for carer's benefit are dealt with as soon as possible. All claims received are immediately acknowledged and referred to the Department's medical assessors. It takes approximately four weeks to process straightforward application forms and some additional processing time in cases where an application form may be incomplete. The Department is satisfied with the processing times achieved and has received very positive feedback from applicants applying for carer's benefit to date. Two weeks before commencing carer's leave, applicants will be required to confirm their intentions to their employer.
I stress to Senators who fear that persons not meeting the carer's benefit criteria may be excluded from eligibility for carer's leave that this will not be the case. We want, between our two Departments, to make the process as user friendly as possible. We do not want a situation whereby a relevant person will have to undergo two medical assessments, one for carer's benefit and one for carer's leave. To that end, the medical assessment form has been designed by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs in such a way that it not only covers applications for carer's benefit but both carer's benefit and/or carer's leave as required.
It should be noted that failure to qualify for carer's benefit by not having the necessary PRSI contributions will not necessarily mean an employee cannot avail of carer's leave. In such circumstances, the employee can be facilitated at his or her own expense with such leave provided the other requirements are met in respect of relevant persons and full-time care and attention.
Senators may also be concerned that such a procedure may delay approval of carer's leave. In fairness to all carers, it would be wrong to ask them to go through the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs's medical procedures for carer's benefit on the one hand and through their local general practitioner on the other for carer's leave. It is better that the application and certification procedures for both schemes are aligned as much as possible. Accordingly, the above arrangement will be the most effective for everyone involved, especially the most important person in all this, namely, the person being cared for, as he or she will not be required to undergo two medical assessments.
The Bill provides in section 17 that any disputes about the medical assessment and the provision of full-time care will only be dealt with by the deciding/appeals officers of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. Disputes about employees' employment rights, for example, length of continuous service, return to work and redundancy situations, will be dealt with by a rights commissioner in the first instance and the by Employment Appeals Tribunal on appeal, as appropriate. This is similar to redress mechanisms set out in other employment rights legislation, such as the Maternity Leave Act, 1994, the Adoptive Leave Act, 1995, and the Parental Leave Act, 1998. These have worked well to date. I have no doubt that, given the nature and sensitivities of cases likely to be dealt with under this legislation, these mechanisms will also work effectively and efficiently for carer's leave into the future.
The Bill, with the exception of the medical assessment procedures outlined above, is modelled on the Parental Leave Act, 1998. The Bill has been the subject of a number of important amendments, which I was happy to take on board and which have improved the thrust of the legislation. I will outline to the House the main features of the Bill.
Sections 1 to 3, inclusive, are standard provisions dealing with the Short Title, interpretation of terms and the making of regulations. Section 4 ensures that persons cannot contract to nullify or exclude the application of the provisions of the Bill, but it allows for the provision of arrangements between an employer and an employee more favourable than those provided for in the Bill. This is a standard provision in employment rights legislation generally. Section 5 is a standard provision which states that the cost of administering the Bill incurred by the Minister will be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas.
Section 6 defines the qualifying conditions for entitlement to carer's leave. An employee is entitled to carer's leave without pay of 65 weeks in respect of any relevant person – a relevant person must generally require full-time care and attention – to enable him or her to provide full-time care and attention to that person. An employee must apply to the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs for a decision on whether the person to be cared for is a relevant person for the purposes of the Bill. An employee must provide his or her employer with a decision from a deciding officer at the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs that the person in respect of whose care the leave is to be taken is a relevant person for the purposes of the Bill before the commencement of the leave. There is provision for an appeal of a decision of a deciding officer under the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993.
An employee must have completed 12 months' continuous employment before commencing carer's leave. Only one employee may be on carer's leave in respect of any relevant person at any one time. In general, an employee may be on carer's leave in respect of only one relevant person at any one time. The section also declares, in the interests of certainty, that entitlement to carer's benefit is not a condition for entitlement to carer's leave.
Section 7 requires an employee to notify his or her employer of any change of circumstances which affects his or her entitlement to carer's leave. The section also provides that an employee may avail of leave for the care of a second relevant person while already on leave for the care of a relevant person where the two relevant persons concerned reside together. However, this may be done only once. This section was the subject of a number of technical amendments on Report Stage in the other House aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Bill. In such cases the period of leave for the second relevant person shall commence on the date on which the deciding officer at the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs notifies the employee that that person is a relevant person for the purposes of the Bill.
Section 8 specifies that carer's leave in respect of any one relevant person may be taken in one continuous period of 65 weeks or in a number of periods, the aggregate duration of which does not exceed 65 weeks. An employer may, on reasonable grounds notified to the employee in writing, refuse to grant carer's leave for any period of less than 13 weeks. This provision was the subject of a Government amendment on Committee Stage in the other House which involved the insertion of "reasonable grounds" in the text. The inclusion of "reasonable grounds" given in writing had been sought by ICTU. There must be a gap of at least six weeks between periods of carer's leave taken by an employee in respect of a relevant person.
The section also provides that an employee who has taken carer's leave in respect of a relevant person cannot commence a period of carer's leave in respect of another relevant person until a period of six months has elapsed from the date on which leave in respect of the first relevant person terminated. Following representations from ICTU and FLAC, I moved a Government amendment on Committee Stage in the other House which reduced the gap to six months from the original 12 months provision. The only exception to the six months' gap requirement is that of two relevant persons residing together as set out under section 7.
Section 8 also states that an employer and employee may agree to carer's leave on terms more favourable to the employee. The section confers power on the Minister to make regulations applicable to any class or classes of employee in respect of the form in which carer's leave may be taken where it is proposed to take the leave in a form other than a continuous period of 65 weeks.
Sections 9 and 10 regulate the procedures to be followed by an employee in giving notice of intention to avail of his or her entitlement to carer's leave. At least six weeks' prior notice in writing is required from the employee, except where in exceptional or emergency situations it is not reasonably practicable, in which case notice must be given as soon as is reasonably practicable. A Government amendment of section 9 on Committee Stage in the other House resulted in this revised provision.
The terms of the leave constitute a document to be known as a "confirmation document". This document must be prepared and signed by the employer and employee not less than two weeks before the date on which the leave as stated therein is due to commence. An employee may revoke the notice of his or her intention to take carer's leave by notice in writing given to the employer before the date of the confirmation document. An employee must give at least four weeks' prior notice in writing to his or her employer of the intention to return to his or her employment on the expiration of the period of carer's leave.
Section 11 sets out the circumstances and conditions upon which carer's leave terminates. Generally, the leave terminates on the date specified in the confirmation document. However, the leave may terminate on another date specified in an agreement between the employer and employee concerned. Carer's leave terminates when the employee ceases to satisfy the conditions for the provision of full-time care and attention to the relevant person in respect of whom the leave was taken, for example, where another person begins to provide full-time care and attention to the relevant person concerned in circumstances other than those prescribed. The leave also terminates when the person to be cared for ceases to satisfy the conditions for a relevant person. The leave shall also terminate where a deciding officer or an appeals officer of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs makes a decision, on reference by an employer, that either the employee or the person being cared for does not satisfy the conditions applicable to him or her.
Section 11 also provides that carer's leave shall continue for up to six weeks after the death of the relevant person, subject to the period of carer's leave in the confirmation document not having expired. This section was changed during the passage of the Bill through the other House to reflect the concerns of Deputies who pointed out that it would be made more user friendly by setting out in clearer terms the circumstances and conditions upon which carer's leave terminates.
Section 12 provides for the postponement, curtailment and variation of the form in which carer's leave may be taken by agreement between the employee and employer concerned. The section also provides that where carer's leave is postponed, curtailed or varied, it may, subject to section 6 of the Bill, be taken at another time.
Part 3 of the Bill is a standard provision in employment rights legislation generally. Section 13 relates to the employment position of the employee during carer's leave. The main provisions are as follows. An employee on carer's leave will be treated as if he or she had not been absent from his or her employment so that all his or her employment rights, except the right to remuneration, annual leave and public holidays in excess of the initial period of 13 weeks of carer's leave for each relevant person, superannuation benefits, will be unaffected during the leave. This section was amended during the passage of the Bill through the Dáil to provide for the entitlement to both annual leave and public holidays in respect of the first 13 weeks only of the 65 weeks entitlement for each relevant person. A period of probation or apprenticeship may be suspended during carer's leave if the employer considers that its continuance would not be consistent with the carer's leave. Periods of carer's leave are not to be reckonable as any other type of leave, for example, sick leave, annual leave, adoptive leave, maternity leave, parental leave or force majeure leave.
Section 14 provides entitlements to return to work on the expiration of a period of carer's leave. It also deals with arrangements for return to work where there has been a change of ownership of the enterprise concerned or the enterprise is temporarily closed on the date the employee expects to return to work from carer's leave.
Section 15 provides that where, on the resumption of work following a period of carer's leave, it is not reasonably practicable for the employer to permit the employee to return to the same work as he or she did prior to the leave, suitable alternative work on terms and conditions not less favourable to the employee than those applicable to his or her previous employment, shall be provided by the employers.
Section 16 provides for the protection of employees from penalisation by employers for exercising or proposing to exercise their entitlement to carer's leave. Under this section, penalisation includes dismissal, redundancy or an unfavourable change in the conditions of employment. An employee may seek relief against penalisation involving a dismissal under the Unfair Dismissals Acts, 1977 to 1993.
Part 4 deals with resolution of disputes. Sections 17 to 19 provide that, in the event of certain disputes arising relating to an employee's entitlement to carer's leave, a claim for redress may be made to a rights commissioner in the first instance with a right of appeal to the Employment Appeals Tribunal. An employee may refer a dispute to a rights commissioner that his or her employer has contravened a provision of the Bill in relation to the employee's rights to carer's leave. An employee may seek redress against penalisation, other than in relation to dismissal, by an employer for exercising his or her rights under the legislation.
Disputes concerning an employer's opinion as to whether a person is a relevant person as defined and-or whether full-time care and attention is being provided must be referred for adjudication to the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs only. The rights commissioner or the tribunal will be bound by the decisions of a deciding officer or an appeals officer of that Department on these issues.
The Defence Forces have been excluded from Part 4 of the Bill, relating to resolution of disputes, because they have their own statutory redress mechanisms under the Defence Act, 1954.
Section 29 provides that a decision of a rights commissioner may be appealed to the Employment Appeals Tribunal within four weeks of the date of the decision. By way of a Government amendment on Committee Stage, this period was revised downward from six weeks to tie in with other employment legislation, for example, the Maternity Protection Act, 1994. The section also provides that the Employment Appeals Tribunal shall issue a determination in writing affirming, varying or setting aside the decision of the rights commissioner. An extension of time to appeal of six weeks may be granted by the tribunal if it considers it reasonable to do so having regard to all the circumstances. During the passage of the Bill through the Dáil, a proposal was put forward that the appellate body should be the Labour Court rather than the tribunal. I argued strongly that it should be the tribunal, not least because of its previous experience as the appellate body under the Parental Leave and Maternity Acts.
Section 21 in regard to redress provides for matters which may be the subject of a decision or determination by the rights commissioner or the tribunal, respectively. Among the matters which may be so decided or determined are the granting of the carer's leave of such length and at such times as may be specified or an award of compensation of up to 26 weeks' remuneration. This is similar to other employment rights legislation.
Section 22 provides that if a party fails to carry out the terms of the decision of a rights commissioner or the determination of the tribunal, the Circuit Court may, on the application of the aggrieved party or of the Minister, make an order directing that it be carried out. In making an order under this section, the Circuit Court may direct the employer to pay interest on the compensation in accordance with the provisions of the Courts Act, 1981.
Section 23 provides that the tribunal may refer a question of law arising in proceedings before it to the High Court and a party to proceedings before the tribunal may appeal for a determination of the tribunal to the High Court on a point of law.
Part 5 deals with miscellaneous issues. Section 24 deals with the service of documents for the purposes of, or in relation to, proceedings under Part 4 of the Bill relating to resolution of disputes.
Section 25 provides that compensation due to an employee under this Bill shall be among the debts having priority in the distribution of assets of a company being wound up, or of a bankrupt or arranging debtor.
Sections 26 to 30 ensure that other relevant enactments take specific account of the introduction by this Bill of carer's leave. Accordingly, the relevant Acts in relation to several matters are amended to ensure the protection of a person availing of carer's leave. Section 28 was amended on Report Stage having regard to the revised public holiday entitlement in section 13.
Section 31 places an obligation on employers in relation to the keeping of records and notices relating to carer's leave, and creates an offence in respect of the contravention of this obligation.
Section 32 confers power on the Minister to appoint persons to be inspectors for the purposes of the Act. The section confers certain powers on the inspectors and regulates those powers in relation to investigating whether the provisions of the Act are being complied with. The section also creates an offence for, inter alia, giving false or misleading evidence to an inspector or obstructing or impeding an inspector in the exercise of any of his or her powers under the section. Section 33 makes general provision for the prosecution of offences under the Bill.
A new section 34 provides that the Minister shall, between two and three years after the commencement of the Act, carry out a review of the operation of the Act after consulting representatives of employers and representatives of employees generally and shall prepare a written report, copies of which shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas. There is a similar review provision in the Parental Leave Act, 1998, which incidentally is currently the subject of such a review.
It has taken me some time to outline in detail the provisions of the Bill and I thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for your patience in that regard. It was important to do so. I have no doubt the House will be supportive of this innovative social legislation which allows people time off from their jobs at a difficult and sensitive time. As I said, the Bill honours Government commitments made under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness and budget 2000.
While the introduction of the Carer's Leave Bill is some months behind the parallel carer's benefit scheme, I understand that 602 applications for carer's benefit have been received by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. These cases are being dealt with in an expeditious manner by officials in that Department. An amendment was proposed during passage of the Bill through the Dáil that employees currently on unpaid leave from their employment and availing of carer's benefit should be allowed the benefit of the legislation retrospectively. However, I have been advised it would be in breach of natural justice to impose retrospective obligations on employers who would, in fairness, have acted in good faith by allowing their employees to take leave to which there was not a statutory entitlement at that time. I should, however, point out that many of these cases have been helped by a compassionate and pragmatic approach on the part of employers which has enabled some of these applicants to leave their jobs pending the enactment of this Carer's Leave Bill.
While I regret the delay in finalising the legislation, it was this process of harmonising as far as possible the two parallel schemes, namely, carer's benefit and carer's leave, which has delayed proceedings somewhat. I firmly believe that the excellent work done by officials of my Department and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs will result in effective, user-friendly procedures for everyone availing of either or both schemes.
The Carer's Leave Bill, 2000, was published on 14 December 2000 and completed its passage through the Dáil on 30 May last. I believe that, in general, there is political consensus and goodwill on the thrust and intent of the Bill. Mindful that the remaining Stages of the Bill in this House have been set down for 21 June 2001, I ask the House to proceed with haste in ensuring its early passage. This will give clear signals to employees, employers and those people requiring care of the support of the Government and this House for those in need of such care.
This legislation is home grown. Many people have noted in the context of legislation, particularly in relation to social affairs and employment rights, that much of it stems from EU directives. This is very much the Government's own initiative and I would appreciate the speedy passage of the Bill so that we can deal with the situation on the ground. Many people have expressed an interest in the carer's benefits provision of the Carer's Leave Bill. I commend the Bill to the House and thank all for their patience and endurance.
