Tipperary TD and Labour Leader Alan Kelly is calling on the Government to support legislation he has introduced which would make it mandatory for companies to pay sick pay.
He says that there are families in Tipperary who are taking Calpol to cover up symptoms for fear they won’t get paid.
Alan Kelly said Ireland was one of just five EU countries along with Cyprus, Denmark, Greece and Portugal that does not provide this leave on a statutory basis.
He is warning that with schools now back, families who don’t have the cushion of sick pay will be putting themselves and everyone else at risk.
Speaking on Tipp Today, he says Ireland needs to take its own advice
“Follow Ronan Glynn’s advice – Ronan Glynn said quite specifically that there was a real concern among public health experts that some people on low pay are going into work environments because they know that if they don’t they will not get paid.”
“We are one of only 5 countries out of 27 in the European Union that don’t have sick pay.”
“We have had a couple of infections now in schools but we can have a situation whereby a mother or father or guardian can be worried how are they going to look after their child who has to self isolate from the school for two weeks and they don’t know how they’re going to get paid. So there should be a temporary measure.”
