Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps the Senator has. I will cede to that. I might add that the debate has already happened among the public. On many issues, the Oireachtas can be way behind where the people are at. Nonetheless we have a job to do and it is timely that we would have a debate in the House on that issue. It will probably be a rolling debate that will evolve over time. Certainly it is something we need to do.

Senator Craughwell also spoke about the €1,000 payment to front-line workers. I am aware that the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, said that if there were challenges or issues where certain workers were excluded, they would look at that. The attempt that was made by the Government, which was a difficult one to solve, was to try to identify those front-line healthcare workers. I think in particular of those working in intensive care units in hospitals who were at the front line actually caring for Covid patients at a time when they were unvaccinated and there was pressure on personal protective equipment, PPE.