I commend my colleague, an Teachta Kerrane, on all the work she has done to highlight the reality of people in such circumstances under this Government. The Minister of State cannot pretend that he does not know there is a problem. He has acknowledged that there is a problem. He is telling people something will be coming for them in October. People cannot wait until the budget. They need urgent action now. The Minister of State advised people to shop around. I think he has acknowledged how hurtful that comment was …

We can all acknowledge that, in terms of the quality of the instructors and the dedication and commitment of the apprentices, we have a world-class system, but it is held together by the apprentices and instructors. It happens in spite of rather than because of Government policy. People who complete apprenticeship programmes in the State are highly valued by employers at home and abroad, as we all know. This is very much a testament to their hard work, their talent and the quality and commitment of the instructors …

I thank the Deputies who tabled this motion because it gives us a very welcome opportunity. I also welcome the medical scientists who are in the Gallery watching this and those who are tuned in. I pay tribute to them for their patience and determination. It is patience because, as we know, this issue has been going on for decades. When an industrial dispute can be characterised in terms of decades, that shows the people with responsibility for its resolution have not been stepping up to the plate. I well recall tha…

You write the cheque to the developer.

I thank my colleague, an Teachta Ó Broin, for bringing forward this Bill and, as I have done previously, for all of the work that he does in the area of housing. It is a fairly simple, straightforward Bill requiring estate agents and online platforms, such as Airbnb and Daft, to advertise only those properties that are compliant with planning law. It also allows for the issuing of spot fines to Airbnb and other providers who advertise non-compliant properties. The situation where tens of thousands of houses and apa…

It is when disputes get settled.

It should be in the room.

It will not be resolved until the Department is in the room, with respect.

I ask for an update on the status of the Protection of Employees (Collective Redundancies) Bill. Figures this week show that the administrators who looked after the sale of Debenhams in Britain made £5.3 million in fees alone. It makes you wonder how much KPMG made out of the disposal here. Workers here received a training fund after a year on the picket line and protesting. What is the status of legislative protections for workers? We need to ensure that we never again have cases such as Debenhams and Clerys. I st…

I think we are in danger of losing our way on this a little. Sick pay is a very important instrument of public health. For employers who may struggle to pay even the modest amount of sick leave provided for in the Bill, which will increase further as time goes on, there is a benefit to them that I do not believe we are considering. When a sick person comes into the workplace and makes other people in the workplace sick, it creates a bigger problem. We should come at this from the perspective that it a necessary pub…

My amendment No. 5 is similar to amendment No. 4. I appreciate that the Government's amendment No. 7 is an effort to address our concerns on this issue, which the Tánaiste indicated previously that he would consider. What he has proposed is an advance and it certainly is welcome. It captures the situation of childcare workers who adhere to a fixed pattern of work that includes a break of a couple of months every year. Despite what people might like to think about me, I am not suggesting that this is an issue with a…

I welcome that and the clarification. The Minister is going to double-check it and that is fair enough. With regard to the service requirement for parental leave, parental leave is something that is planned. One does not wake up and suddenly find oneself with a child and eligibility for parental leave, or at least I hope not. Sick leave is different because it happens suddenly. The two are not the same. As I said, I am not hostile to a service requirement being part of it. It just needs to work for the people for w…

I move amendment No. 5: In page 5, to delete lines 30 to 32 and substitute the following: “(5) An employee’s entitlement to a statutory sick leave day shall commence from their first day of employment.”. We have already discussed the amendment.

I am sorry, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, but what about amendment No. 10?

I cannot catch a break.

I have tabled a similar amendment regarding what should be considered. Of course, it is open to the Minister to consider a rake of things that may not be in the legislation, but we want to include "the state of society generally, the public interest and employee well-being” in what should be considered. On the inclusion of "employee" well-being, it is not a word I like. I prefer the word "worker" as I believe it is more descriptive. However, the inclusion of that is intended to balance this in favour of workers, so…

I move amendment No. 12: In page 6, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following: “(b) the state of society generally, the public interest and employee well-being;”.

I agree. It makes me a bit nervy, given that previous Governments have reduced sick pay entitlements for civil and public servants. I am not going to get into it, but that was done and there were all the reasons in the world given for it. I think it was Deputy Howlin at the time who said it would improve productivity, but it did not. I am concerned, given there is form on this, that it could happen. I do not believe that is the intention and I take the Tánaiste's bona fides that this is a very positive step. We hav…

I have similar amendments. I agree with what an Teachta Paul Murphy has said. I want to include a reference to the need to have a GP certificate because it is a fact in this State, and I am not comparing us to every other country, that we do not have universal, free at the point of delivery access to GP care. It is not true to say the majority of low-paid workers have access to it. In fact, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has debunked that. They do not necessarily have access to a GP card. People will have 70% o…

Very briefly, it is an awful pity that my amendment was not accepted, which would have phased in this requirement to present a medical certificate alongside the extension of the universal access to GP care.