Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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458. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will give consideration to providing an additional payment or additional leave for frontline staff working in hospitals and other healthcare settings during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39223/21]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Workers across the economy, including of course our public servants, have made an extraordinary contribution during the COVID pandemic and I would like to pay tribute to them.

Notwithstanding the sacrifices and efforts of the last year or more and the progress we have made in recent months to roll out vaccines, this pandemic remains an ongoing challenge for us all and it continues, for now, to require our full focus and attention.

Accordingly, while this is not yet, I believe, the most appropriate time to deal with this matter, the Government will consider in due course how best to recognise the efforts made by workers during this pandemic.