Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We all, rightly, applaud the heroic efforts of nurses during this crisis. For them, turning up to work every day is brave. Not only do they play a central role in ensuring that 70% of Covid-19 patients recover from this deadly virus, but they comfort terrified patients and spend time with the dying in their final hours.

Too many people have paid too high a price for doing their duty. Almost one in three health workers have now contracted Covid-19. Nurses deserve more than our thanks and applause. They now work long hours on modest pay to provide this most vital service in our time of crisis. Despite the absolute necessity of the work of nurses and the dangers they are exposed to, their overtime is taxed at the higher rate. In financial terms, we thank them for going the extra mile by taxing them. It seems inevitable that we need some sort of stimulus package to kick-start the economy back to life and the Minister has clearly outlined exactly how that will work. Will he consider providing tax relief to nurses as part of such a stimulus?

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