Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am a little concerned about revisionism from the Government, so I will take the Tánaiste back to the spring of 2020. A virus with no cure was terrifying the world and our country went into lockdown. The Tánaiste announced it. We turned to our front-line workers to keep public services running and essential retail open. A call was put to the diaspora around the world asking those with the right skills to be on call for Ireland. I would like everybody in the House to put themselves in the shoes of a nurse at that time. Nurses were turning up for work in hospitals with little or no personal protective equipment, PPE. They were separated from their families and their children, isolating themselves to keep away from their loved ones due to the fear of Covid-19 and its impact. Crèches and schools were closed and they struggled to arrange childcare. Shifts and leave went out the window. They were there to work as long as necessary, to save as many lives as possible and to protect our people. They made massive sacrifices - personal, professional and financial. When we asked them to serve they reported for duty. In this House, we would literally have paid them anything to get us out of what was unknown to us in the pandemic, and we are not out of it yet.

It was not just in the hospitals that workers turned up; the list is endless. From gardaí to bus drivers, our workers did their bit. Cleaners, carers and retail workers all played their part. Anybody reading the news headlines this morning about a Covid bonus for front-line workers will hear the sounds of wheels rapidly reversing in the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform. On Monday, it was floated that a recognition payment would be announced in the budget, but the scaremongering is now under way. Sources today say that a special payment or leave would eat up the cash available for the budget. What is happening? Are we forgetting these workers? On Monday we were informed that it would impact on the budget numbers because it would come out of this year's revenue. The HSE is saying it would cost at least €377 million to grant ten days of extra leave. The health unions have disputed this and are seeking engagement. The Tánaiste told me on Tuesday: "Whether that is a financial bonus or additional annual leave needs to be discussed but I would have a strong view as well that it should not be limited to front-line workers in our health service". The Taoiseach said on Tuesday that the Government is giving active consideration to extra payment or leave.

Will the Government effectively engage with unions? Can the Tánaiste guarantee that their work will be recognised in the budget?

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