Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Lahart for that. I think we have covered the issue but it is worth repeating that the scheme that will be brought in will be for all front-line workers. It includes section 38 organisations, section 39 organisations and nursing homes. Many people who are working in nursing homes do not have these protections. We will make sure that they have them.

The Deputy referenced the infection rates among healthcare workers of which we need to be very cognisant. I met three of the unions yesterday that represent front-line workers, namely, the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation, INMO, the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland, PNA, and SIPTU. I will meet more in the coming days. These issues came up at the meeting. An issue was raised about a very high level of Covid-19 infection rates among our healthcare workers. One of the first things I did when I was appointed was look into that to determine the issue. The figure we were given was the percentage of healthcare workers as a percentage of total cases in Ireland. It is very high, however, that is a function of testing. When we look at the infection rate among our healthcare workers as a percentage of all healthcare workers, it is significantly lower than international standards. While that is good news and reassuring to hear, we must strive to do much more.

I was talking with the HSE today about some of these issues. PPE is available. However, everything that can be done must be done to continue to improve the protection of our healthcare workers but also, as we have discussed, certain other categories of workers across the system in the sections 38 and 39 organisations and in the nursing homes. We will make sure that we continue to do everything we can to that end.

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