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Legislative Measures

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 March 2022

Wednesday, 9 March 2022

Questions (29)

Peter Burke

Question:

29. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the new law to give workers the right to paid sick leave will be introduced. [13524/22]

View answer

Written answers

The Government is committed to introducing a statutory sick pay scheme and as such the Sick Leave Bill is being prioritised.

Ireland is an outlier among wealthy OECD countries in not providing for any statutory paid sick leave. It is simply not right that people who are sick are often afraid to take time off for fear of a major reduction in their income and it's not good when it comes to public health. There's a risk of them infecting co-workers and customers as well.

The Bill is intended to provide a level of protection to low paid employees, who may have no company sick pay schemes and cannot afford to miss work. As a starting point, this scheme will cover the three waiting days before eligibility for Illness Benefit from the State. This is a progressive Bill and will ensure that all employees are better off and will have financial protection from day one of a medically certified absence. 

Statutory sick pay is being introduced on a phased basis to give employers time to adjust to the associated costs. All employees will eventually be entitled to ten days, or two weeks, of sick pay per year.

Draft Heads of Bill have been published on my Department’s website, pre-legislative scrutiny has been completed and we have reviewed the Joint Oireachtas Committee's report and recommendations. Officials in my Department are currently engaged with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to make any necessary technical amendments to the Bill. 

I intend to bring a memo to cabinet in the coming weeks requesting permission to present the Bill to the Houses of the Oireachtas and have the Bill enacted as soon as possible thereafter. 

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