Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 November 2022
555. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if contract workers, such as contract cleaning staff, contract catering staff and contract security workers as opposed to agency workers who worked in the health service including in hospitals during the Covid pandemic will be eligible for the pandemic recognition payment; if so, when they will be paid the bonus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56420/22]
View answer578. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if agency workers contracted by the HSE, such as security staff and cleaners will be eligible to receive the pandemic bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56595/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 555 and 578 together.
Firstly I would like to thank all healthcare workers for their extraordinary efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Government announced a COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for certain frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. To date, over 124,000 workers have received the payment, and payments to eligible HSE and Section 38 staff are substantially complete.
I have instructed officials to expedite rollout to other cohorts as a matter of priority. I can confirm, subject at all times to fulfilling all the eligibility criteria for the recognition payment, that both agency staff and contract staff (e.g. eligible cleaners/catering/security staff, etc.) are to be included in the KOSI process for cohorts 1-4 below.
1. Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary, Section 39 etc.);
2. Eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities;
3. Agency roles working in the HSE;
4. Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help/home care/home support) contracted to the HSE.
