Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister tells me research is being conducted into the impact of paid sick leave. I could have saved the Department a fortune: the impact of paid sick leave being available to workers is that people who are sick can afford to not go to work. Hopefully they can afford to stay at home and get better and not bring whatever it is they have into their workplace and potentially infect other people there.

The Minister says the data is being analysed. Perhaps it is, but he has already announced that he is not going ahead with the proposed increase. Even at the slow pace of the Minister's timetable, he has already announced that it will not go ahead, so it does not matter what the data tells him. The announcement has been made. It has been put on a leaflet that they are going around handing to people. They are celebrating the fact that workers will not get the very modest increase in their entitlement to paid sick leave. The Minister of State acknowledged that in his contribution, and I did too. It is a very valuable tool of public health. It is an essential public health instrument. The Minister of State should not play with it in that way. It took a long time for workers to achieve access to paid sick leave and now that they have it, all of a sudden it is a burden and a cost. It is an instrument of public health and it should be regarded as such. Shame on the Minister of State for celebrating that workers are not going to get the modest increase in their sick leave entitlement. I was very disappointed, but not a little bit surprised, to see that being celebrated in that way. I do not think it is something that should be put on a leaflet, celebrated and shared in that way.

With the permission of the Chair, I very briefly add my own words of condolence to the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, and his family at this very sad time.