Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste was Taoiseach when I raised the issue of a €1,000 bonus for front-line workers last year. He will be aware that the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, has also looked for a bonus or annual leave. We do not need to rehearse why the people who worked on the front line deserve this bonus. The Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, could not be engaged by the HSE last year because the Government refused to sign off on anything. We all know that other European countries, including the UK and France, have acted in various ways, be that through changes in tax, provision of direct bonuses or other means. In yesterday's Irish Examiner, there was some form of leak or statement to the effect that something is being considered in the budget for front-line workers. While not giving us the details given that this is a budgetary issue, will the Tánaiste confirm that something will be done in the budget to acknowledge front-line workers and their contribution throughout the Covid pandemic?

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