Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Earlier this year, the Government announced a pandemic recognition payment, broadly welcomed by this House, for front-line workers who worked during the pandemic. However, a whole section of workers have not received this payment. They are largely HSE staff but they also include section 39 voluntary workers, members of the fire brigade and workers in private nursing homes. They have not got the pandemic payment, which is quite incredible after nine months. What gets even more bizarre is there is now a tendering process for the administration relating to those who have not received the payment.

There is to be a situation where a tendering company will probably end up getting more money than the people who were trying to protect us. That is bizarre to say the least. I would like to hear the Minister's comments on that.

See this speech in context