Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The vast majority of people entitled to the payment have received it and received it last year. I should say that it was intended for people who were front-line workers - the people who wore masks and gowns and were exposed to Covid patients before the vaccines were available. It was for our own employees who were employees of the State. We put in a provision allowing non-State employees' employers to pay €1,000 to their own staff without having to pay tax on it. Pretty much anyone who was entitled to it has got it. I accept that there have been some disputes. There have been anomalies from one region to another, which creates problems as well. The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, is trying to iron all of that out at the moment.

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