Sinn Fein are calling for Dublin Fire Brigade staff to be paid the €1,000 Covid bonus for fighting on the frontline of the pandemic.
The Government promised to pay all public-facing healthcare workers a €1,000 for working through the pandemic. Including the DFB in the payment would cost €965,000, if all staff are paid.
The motion is set to be voted on at tomorrow's Dublin City Council special Budget meeting. Sinn Fein's lead on the council, Daithi Doolan, said it was "unacceptable" the DFB were not included.
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He said: "Sinn Féin are proposing that Dublin City Council will pay the 965 Dublin Fire Brigade staff a once off payment of €1,000. This is in recognition of the work done by fire brigade staff during the covid crisis. This is in line with what other frontline staff have received.
"The Government made this payment to other frontline staff but failed to include Dublin Fire Brigade. This is totally unacceptable.
"This City owes a huge debt to Dublin Fire Brigade. This payment is a token of our respect to the staff who kept this service going 24 hours a day, every day during the Covid crisis.
"The cost will be covered by reducing the Vacancy Refund from 15% to 5%. This will yield an extra €1M in next year's budget. The balance of €35,000 will go to fund An Lá Mór Gaeilge.
"I would strongly encourage other City Councillors to vote for this proposal at tomorrow's City Council budget meeting."
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