Extra bank holiday for pandemic bonus dismissed as 'crumbs off the table'

Solidarity TD Mick Barry slams offer, while Social Democrats critical of 'auction politics'

Consideration is being given by the Government to an additional holiday being part of a "pandemic dividend" which would include a payment for frontline workers.

The idea of an additional bank holiday to mark the pandemic has been slammed as "crumbs off the table".

Consideration is being given to an additional holiday being part of a "pandemic dividend" which would include a payment for frontline workers.

However, Solidarity TD Mick Barry called the idea of one extra day off "crumbs off the table".

"If they (the Government) think that a measly bank holiday and a few crumbs off the table is going to satisfy the demand of working people for a Covid bonus, then they would want to be thinking again.

"Workers sacrificed in order to help drag this country through the pandemic. You raised the issue of deaths, workers on the frontline died and not just in the health service. Workers got sick and had long Covid, fatigue, stress, all kinds of mental health pressures. They deserve some reward for that. I’m talking about public sector workers and I’m talking about private-sector workers here, the likes of our retail workers, cleaners, many of whom worked through the pandemic on wages that were so low that they struggled to pay the rent."

His People Before Profit colleague Richard Boyd Barrett said the party had put forward a bill that would deliver an additional three holidays.

Travel voucher

Sinn Féin's David Cullinane said the party supports the idea of a travel voucher for each adult and child in the country, but Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall said that the promise of payment to groups outside healthcare workers was "auction politics".

“I think this has developed into a bidding war at this stage. And we need to end these auction politics. And I’m really concerned about the build-up to the Budget next month,” Ms Shortall told reporters outside Leinster House.

Speaking after today's Cabinet meeting at Dublin Castle, Justice and Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said the pandemic dividend is being examined.

"Minister McGrath and Minister Donohoe are examining this matter," Ms Humphreys said.

"As we all know there are many frontline workers, and we need to be careful not to adopt a divisive approach on how to recognise people during the pandemic and so those will be brought to cabinet, and we will consider that.

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"What I want to make sure is that, because everybody has, has made a huge contribution here, and there are many many frontline workers, and of course, as Minister for Justice I absolutely recognise the work that An Garda Síochána have done, and as Minister for Social Protection I also recognise the work in the Department of Social Protection carried out in making sure the pandemic supports were delivered to many, many hundreds and 1000s of people.

Many frontline workers

"We all know, there are many frontline workers, and because we have the nurses, the doctors with the guards, we have many, many others, not only to name a few.

"So we want to recognise their contribution, and the huge commitment and sacrifices that they made during the pandemic, and we will do that in a way that's appropriate and sufficient and will be brought to government, and we will consider them."

In Europe, only Hungary, the Netherlands, and the UK (eight) have fewer public holidays than Ireland (nine) and globally, only Mexico has fewer public holidays (seven). On the upper end, Austria, Sweden, Poland, and Portugal each have 13, though some countries in Europe do not make up for lost holidays which happen to fall on weekends.