I want to raise an issue relating to workers, prior to the Government making its decisions on what is going to happen around Christmas. We have not had a chance to chat about this but I encourage the Tánaiste to extend the period for travel between counties from 2 or 3 January to 4 or 5 January. Many workers, particularly healthcare workers, who do not have children work through Christmas and the new year period is more important to them because they give up their time at Christmas for people with kids. I just wanted to say that.

The real issue I wish to raise relates to student nurses. Overnight, 12,000 people have signed the petition from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, on this matter. Everybody in the country knows this Christmas will be different. These student nurses have done everything for us over the last eight months. They have been incredible. One of the best Christmas presents this Government could give workers is to show solidarity with these extraordinary people who have done so much on the front line over the last number of months and pay them what they deserve, or make some contribution towards that.

We all appreciate the extra work student nurses have done during the pandemic to help us increase our health service capacity. In recognition of that, many student nurses were taken on as healthcare assistants during the first wave and were paid for that purpose. It is important to acknowledge that generally, students are not paid across the public service. Medical students, trainee gardaí and teacher trainees are not paid. Student nurses in their final or pre-registration year are paid because they are different and do real work on wards that would not be done were it not for them. That is why there is special recognition for student nurses and why they get paid in their pre-registration year, even though most students in the public service and, indeed, the private sector, do not get paid for their work. The Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, is examining whether we can improve the payment they receive but this issue must be seen in the wider context that it is not the norm for students to receive payment in either the public or private sector.