Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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344. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has consulted with public bodies such as the HSE and the Department of Health in relation to acknowledging the work of frontline healthcare workers in 2020 in the context of Covid-19. [34948/20]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On an ongoing basis there are significant dealings between my Department and the Department of Health on a number of fronts and in particular this has been intensified in 2020. My Department also meets with the HSE in conjunction with the Department - usually in the format of the regular meetings of the Health Budget Oversight Group (HBOG). In the course of these ongoing contacts there has been significant acknowledgement and recognition of the tremendous contribution made to date by frontline staff in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As I recently pointed during Public Service Innovation Week (19-23 October), over the last 6 months we have witnessed the enormous commitment and dedication of our public servants in responding to the crisis, especially those on the frontline. We have seen the agility and resourcefulness of public servants in playing their essential part in combatting the impacts of Covid-19 and collaborating together to mitigate impacts. I know that this appreciation is fully shared by my colleague the Minister for Health and indeed by all of my colleagues in Government, as well as management of the HSE.