LAST UPDATE | 29 Sep 2021

THE GOVERNMENT’S BONUS payment for frontline workers will not be announced as part of the Budget in October, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon in Dublin, he said details of the bonus and who will get it “won’t be one for the Budget”, adding it is “not a Budget day issue”.

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe have been working on the bonus measure, which will take the form of annual leave and in some cases a monetary payment. 

Unions have sought some form of special recognition for healthcare staff as far back as last year.

Health service employers in France, Northern Ireland, Denmark and elsewhere have offered staff bonuses or pay increases in recognition of their work over the past year.

However, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has floated the idea that the bonus should not be limited to healthcare workers, and could also be given to other essential workers.

The Taoiseach said today that the issue of recognising frontline workers in the health service, and workers more generally, is still under “consideration”.

“It is very challenging,” he said, commenting that the government will engage further with stakeholder groups to ensure that whatever is announced is “fair” and gives “due recognition” to workers during the pandemic.

As regards next month’s Budget, he said the government wants to focus on the expenditure and taxation measures that will be announced, as well as welfare aspects relating to the fuel allowance and rising energy prices.

The State’s expenditure on health and also on childcare are “key elements” the government wishes to focus on, he said.

Speaking about the same matter this afternoon, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said that a “pandemic recognition payment” needed to be fair and affordable.

“In relation to discussions on the pandemic recognition payment, I believe this agreement is one that has to be fair, has to recognise the contribution that many of us have made but it is also one that does need to be affordable and the best way to move this forward now is an engagement with stakeholders,” he said. 

- With reporting by Rónán Duffy