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

I wish to speak up on behalf of 118 workers whose pay will be slashed on 31 March by the Government. They are public health services staff who are out sick with long Covid and have been on full pay as part of a dedicated scheme which the Government plans to scrap on 31 March. Many of them are nurses. They were on the front line and risked their health for us before vaccines were available and with insufficient PPE. Now, they suffer from fatigue, brain fog, migraine and other symptoms of long Covid. After the Government cuts their pay, their incomes will be down by 50% after three months. These people are members of households not just with mortgages but with significant added medical costs. This is cruelty. Is it going to be part of the Taoiseach's legacy or will he do the right thing and extend that scheme? I ask him to give me a direct answer. This is a pressing matter.

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