Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. As he correctly said, in recognition of the efforts of the general public, volunteers and, indeed, all workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to Covid-19, the Government announced last week a once-off public holiday that will take place on Friday, 18 March this year, and a new annual public holiday from 2023 in celebration of St. Brigid's day.

The Government also announced the Covid-19 recognition payment for front-line public sector healthcare workers to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. The payment of €1,000 will not be subject to tax, USC or PRSI. It will be ring-fenced for staff ordinarily on site in healthcare environments exposed to Covid-19 in the period from 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2021. Those eligible for the Covid-19 recognition payment are general front-line public healthcare workers who are directly employed by the public health sector and worked or trained in environments exposed to Covid-19 or clinical settings. Aside from the staff covered by that, staff also intended to be covered by this arrangement are home carers working for and contracted out to the HSE, and agency staff who worked in clinical settings for the HSE, including agency nurses, doctors, cleaners and paramedics. Those working in long-term disability care facilities, under section 39, and in public-private voluntary nursing homes and hospices are also covered. The arrangements for processing this decision are currently being finalised by the Department of Health and the HSE. It is challenging, without a doubt.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform made the point that it is difficult to know where to draw a line once it goes beyond healthcare workers. The core objective was to respond, in particular, to the front-line healthcare workers who were faced with challenging situations in acute hospital settings throughout the pandemic, because of the various surges and waves of the pandemic and of different variants, which caused enormous distress, with people putting themselves at risk on a consistent basis over a long time and through the entirety of the pandemic.

The bank holiday arrangement is a general acknowledgement of everyone's contribution, as well as permanent remembrance and recognition of those who lost their lives and of the trauma that many people went through during the pandemic.

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