Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The truth is that if the Government were to seek to meet all the legitimate calls that have been made to extend this pandemic payment, the cost of it would become very large. One could potentially be talking about €500 million or more. That is the truth if we were to include the full range of workers that have been suggested the Government include. Unfortunately, that is simply not possible. We would all love to extend this payment to a wide range of workers and volunteers without whom our experience of Covid would have been much worse. I do not need to remind the Deputy of her party's pre-budget submission. It suggested that there be a €200 payment to every person in the country and it called on the Government to engage in a spirit of generosity with front-line healthcare workers. That is what the Government has done. That is what Sinn Féin called for. We believe the package we have brought forward is fair, balanced and proportionate. I will not deny that there is of course an affordability issue, as there always is when it comes to public expenditure.

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