Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is concerning to hear. The HSE has engaged in good faith and the Government has funded the payments in good faith so that those in the voluntary sector and the private sector, such as in nursing homes, would make these payments. The criteria are clear for those employers in terms of the periods when the workers would need to have been there and whether they were involved in patient-facing areas, so there should not be a problem. It is concerning to hear the reports the Deputy is getting, so I will take them back to the Department and the HSE. If healthcare workers are entitled to this payment, they deserve answers and deserve to know whether their employer has applied to the HSE. I can confirm that the great majority of those who are entitled to the payment have got it, but we will keep going to ensure everybody does.

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