Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the funding for this winter, there is a service level agreement in place between the association and the HSE. This will be used with this section 39 organisation and all the others to determine their portion of the €60 million to €65 million provided just for the disability sector. That is a very significant amount. Broadly, the organisations will be able to use that money as they see fit to deal with energy costs. Of course, there will be guidance around that but that is the mechanism that is being worked through at the moment.

With regard to the special recognition payment, I have had intensive engagement with HSE and it is mobilising to fast-track the payment to the section 39 workers. It may be the case that some of the workers, for example, those who are working in residential services, would get it because they are covered by the recognition payment. There are clear guidelines in place for who will get that. For everyone who meets those guidelines, I have asked the HSE to fast-track those payments.

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