Under its manifesto intentions, Fine Gael has abandoned plans to raise employees’ yearly right to paid sick leave and would keep it at five days, reports Breaking News.
After former leader Leo Varadkar had previously stated that the party will increase sick leave to 10 days per year by 2026, this is a U-turn in the party’s policy commitments.
A legislative entitlement to paid sick leave was initially established by the Sick Leave Act 2022, and it was scheduled to be implemented gradually between 2023 and 2026.
Workers presently have the right to up to five days of sick leave each year, which is compensated at 70% of their gross pay up to a daily maximum of €110, reports Breaking News.
This was supposed to be extended to 10 days in 2026 and to seven days the following year.
However, Fine Gael stated in its manifesto, “Securing Your Future,” that it will continue to offer five days of sick leave annually, reports Breaking News.
According to the statement, any growth will be contingent upon “more research and must be affordable for businesses.”
The choice was “appropriate,” according to Taoiseach Simon Harris, who unveiled the manifesto on Sunday at the Horse & Jockey Hotel in County Tipperary.
“Our proposal is to leave sick leave at five days. 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,” Mr Harris added, reports Breaking News.
“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,” reports Breaking News.
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