[Ireland] Plans to increase paid sick leave scrapped

In Ireland, Fine Gael has scrapped plans to increase workers’ entitlement to paid sick leave. It will now remain at five days, under manifesto plans, BreakingNews.ie reports.

The news marks a U-turn in the party’s policy pledges following a commitment from former leader Leo Varadkar that the annual entitlement would increase to 10 days by 2026.

The Sick Leave Act 2022 gave Irish workers a statutory right to paid sick leave for the very first time and was intended to be phased in from 2023 to 2026.

Employees are currently entitled to up to five days’ employer-paid sick leave in a year, paid at 70 per cent of gross salary up to a cap of €110 per day. This was poised to be increased to seven days in 2025 and to 10 days in 2026.

But Fine Gael’s manifesto, entitled Securing Your Future, reportedly says the party will retain sick leave at five days per year.

The manifesto states that any expansion will depend on “further research and must be affordable for businesses”.

Taoiseach Simon Harris - who launched the manifesto in Co Tipperary on November 17, said the decision was “appropriate”.

“Our proposal is to leave sick leave at five days,” Mr Harris said.

“That is a change in approach, it’s a change in approach that I’ve articulated, I think since I became party leader, it’s one that I think is appropriate.

“My party in this government introduced statutory sick and I’m pleased that we did introduce that scheme.

“But we also have to make sure that we protect jobs and what we have said is we’ll carry out an analysis in terms of economic impact before it moves further.

“At the moment, the plan is to leave it at the five days.

“I would also say this, I’m very proud of the record that my party has in terms of supporting workers, because the most important way is for the workers getting the job.

“When my party came to government, there were 15% unemployment, and we now have full employment.

“We’ve lowered the tax burden on all people, and we’ve made sure that that’s done in a progressive manner. We’ve increased the minimum wage.

“We’re continuing to do other things that I think help people, whether it’s child benefit, whether it’s the child care changes.

“There does need to be a balanced approach.

“If you stand in any cafe or hotel or restaurant or shop across the country, the wave of measures that have come at them quickly in one go has had a real impact.

“I’m proud that we’ve introduced sick leave but I also want to be honest in relation to what I believe is possible to do in terms of the number of days in the time ahead.”

Source: BreakingNews.ie

(Quotes via original reporting)

In Ireland, Fine Gael has scrapped plans to increase workers’ entitlement to paid sick leave. It will now remain at five days, under manifesto plans, BreakingNews.ie reports.

The news marks a U-turn in the party’s policy pledges following a commitment from former leader Leo Varadkar that the annual entitlement would increase to 10 days by 2026.

The Sick Leave Act 2022 gave Irish workers a statutory right to paid sick leave for the very first time and was intended to be phased in from 2023 to 2026.

Employees are currently entitled to up to five days’ employer-paid sick leave in a year, paid at 70 per cent of gross salary up to a cap of €110 per day. This was poised to be increased to seven days in 2025 and to 10 days in 2026.

But Fine Gael’s manifesto, entitled Securing Your Future, reportedly says the party will retain sick leave at five days per year.

The manifesto states that any expansion will depend on “further research and must be affordable for businesses”.

Taoiseach Simon Harris - who launched the manifesto in Co Tipperary on November 17, said the decision was “appropriate”.

“Our proposal is to leave sick leave at five days,” Mr Harris said.

“That is a change in approach, it’s a change in approach that I’ve articulated, I think since I became party leader, it’s one that I think is appropriate.

“My party in this government introduced statutory sick and I’m pleased that we did introduce that scheme.

“But we also have to make sure that we protect jobs and what we have said is we’ll carry out an analysis in terms of economic impact before it moves further.

“At the moment, the plan is to leave it at the five days.

“I would also say this, I’m very proud of the record that my party has in terms of supporting workers, because the most important way is for the workers getting the job.

“When my party came to government, there were 15% unemployment, and we now have full employment.

“We’ve lowered the tax burden on all people, and we’ve made sure that that’s done in a progressive manner. We’ve increased the minimum wage.

“We’re continuing to do other things that I think help people, whether it’s child benefit, whether it’s the child care changes.

“There does need to be a balanced approach.

“If you stand in any cafe or hotel or restaurant or shop across the country, the wave of measures that have come at them quickly in one go has had a real impact.

“I’m proud that we’ve introduced sick leave but I also want to be honest in relation to what I believe is possible to do in terms of the number of days in the time ahead.”

Source: BreakingNews.ie

(Quotes via original reporting)