Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Does the Taoiseach honestly believe that a measly once-off bank holiday and a few other crumbs from the table will satisfy the demand of front-line workers for a Covid bonus? These workers risked their lives and their health and suffered fatigue, stress and all types of mental health pressures to help to pull this society through the worst of the crisis. Workers in the public and private sectors alike deserve proper compensation. Does the Taoiseach accept that our society includes so-called high net worth individuals and some corporations that benefitted financially from the Covid-19 pandemic in a massively disproportionate way? Why would he not introduce a special one-off Covid wealth tax in the forthcoming budget and pay Covid bonuses from the revenues raised?

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