Leo Varadkar announced, towards the end of last month, that all frontline health and ambulance workers are eligible for the tax-free €1000 payment. Student nurses and midwives are included in the cohort who are eligible
The announcement is an attempt to end a controversial “two-tier” austerity-era cost-cutting pay rate. It resulted in entrants into the public sector since 2011 receiving less than that of longer serving colleagues.