Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon. He is here on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The Government made a decision in January 2022 to acknowledge the incredible work by healthcare staff during the Covid pandemic and the service given in a crisis to keep people safe. Staff went to work every day with patients sick from Covid-19. They faced more risk themselves, as did vulnerable members of their families when staff came home. The pandemic special recognition payment of €1,000 is welcome for healthcare employees and their families and is so well-deserved, especially in this time of rising costs.

Contract employees in catering and cleaning services worked alongside HSE staff in hospitals across the country. They worked as team. They provided essential services and infection control. They brought meals to patients in Covid-19 wards. However, almost a year and six months later, these contract employees have still not received payment. I raised this issue in the House in November last with a focus on eligibility for the payment. At that time the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, stated 124,000 eligible front-line HSE and section 38 healthcare workers had been paid and confirmed contract employees eligible under certain criteria were eligible for this payment. These contract employees, who are mainly women, from Portiuncula Hospital have come to me again to ask where their payment is. I ask the Minister of State where is it. Why are they and their families left waiting? These staff on lower incomes are still waiting for this acknowledgement from Government, the Department of Health and the HSE. They work alongside their colleagues employed directly by the HSE in the same roles and doing the same work, and they see how all other groups have been paid in advance of them. HSE employees, nurses, doctors and health and social care professionals received this payment last year and it was well deserved, but why is this group left waiting?

KOSI manages the verification process on behalf of the HSE. It ensures eligibility and that everything is correct. That is great. My colleague, Deputy Colm Burke, who is Fine Gael spokesperson on health, received a parliamentary question response on this issue noting KOSI is the group contracted to manage payments. Those eligible for the payment are divided into four cohorts. Payments have been completed to just 45% of cohort 3, which is agency and contractor roles working in the HSE. I understand this could be between 80,000 to 100,000 people across contractors, but what is the Department of Health going to do to accelerate payments to cleaners and caterers? It is not good enough these groups on low incomes are waiting a year and a half for recognition payments as a tribute to the risk they faced in difficult times. How is the Department engaging with KOSI on timelines and additional resources as required? Why are the contract agencies not prioritising correct employee information for KOSI, especially as they are still under contract and receiving payments for work completed now in the HSE and Department of Health? A number of submissions have been returned by KOSI to contract agencies and this is causing additional delays. How do we ensure information has been provided even now to contract employees by their agencies and by KOSI and the HSE on the timelines and reason for delays?

Employees are being left in the dark. There is to-ing and fro-ing between these agencies and KOSI, as eligibility is checked for thousands of employees. Payments to all in an agency are held if there is any discrepancy. Are there measures for phased payments to groups of individuals approved within each agency? This could ensure payments start issuing to approved batches of employees. It could speed this up. The group I spoke to at Portiuncula Hospital are proud of what they achieved, their engagement with patients and how they contributed to saving lives while working with colleagues in hospitals countrywide. It is important this invaluable team spirit in hospital environments across the country is not tarnished by further delays.