Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will take the valid points the Senator raised back to the Minister for Health, on whose behalf I am taking this Commencement matter, and his officials. The pandemic recognition payment scheme is in its final stages, with more than 205,000 eligible employees having now been paid. The payments to eligible workers in the HSE and section 38 organisations are substantially completed, as I have outlined, with more than 3,500 appeals also completed. The HSE and KOSI Corporation continue to process payment applications for eligible non-public sector employees as they are received. KOSI Corporation established a separate portal for employees who do not have an employer to claim payment on their behalf. Claim packs are still being received daily.

The pandemic recognition payment formed part of a larger set of measures introduced by the Government to acknowledge the hard work and challenges faced by Irish society during the Covid-19 pandemic. The measures included a once-off public holiday, which took place on 18 March 2022, followed by the institution of an ongoing annual public holiday on St. Brigid's Day.

I reiterate my sincere gratitude to the Senator for raising this matter. I will convey to the Minister the points she raised and her clearly articulated frustrations with the process.