Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

3 o’clock

Restaurants, pubs and hotels are calling for the continuation of the temporary wage subsidy scheme to be able to keep staff employed over the autumn and winter lean period. I am sure it is more important to have people working than unemployed. They are also calling for a reduction of VAT to a minimum of 9% and refer to Northern Ireland, where it is at 5%. Will the Government, from today, continue to pay the trainee nurses? All other apprentices in this State are paid while they train. Our front-line staff and nurses need to be paid properly while they train. They looked after us through the pandemic and now it is time that we stood up and paid them for the training they are doing to look after us in future.

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