Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

While I reckon there are three points to this, three different steps that were agreed, I am focused on the €1,000 bonus payment. This morning the Taoiseach stated that a panel will be established. When he was questioned directly about categories such as carers, he said they are not ruled out. The Tánaiste has given an answer here today that the payment will only be made to those working in clinical settings. Is there a possibility that carers will be included when it comes to the €1,000 bonus payment?

What is the role of the panel? What will its terms of reference be? What job has it to do? Is it to look beyond clinical settings? Is it to look at people such as carers or not? When speaking about the public holiday, the Tánaiste indicated that people will get a day off or, if they are working, get double payment. Carers will get none of that. Indeed, this will increase the pressure on carers. The latter were predominantly caring for those who were at highest risk during the pandemic, many of whom were immunocompromised. They will not get a day off or a double payment. This will increase the pressure on them because day services and schools will be closed, meaning that other supports that they would rely on normally will not be there. The Tánaiste has made the point previously that other jurisdictions limited their bonus payments to healthcare workers. I am of the view that carers are front-line healthcare workers. Does the Tánaiste believe that carers who have provided that valuable work for the State and looked after their loved ones during the height of the pandemic should be included in the bonus payment?

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