Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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969. To ask the Minister for Health the way that he defined exposed healthcare settings in the context of the Covid €1000 bonus; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Tusla staff working in residential facilities, caring for teenagers, donned full PPE. [14491/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Firstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.

The Government announced a COVID-19 recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic.

This measure will be ring fenced to staff ordinarily onsite in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments within the period between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021. Eligibility will be based on the criteria used to identify those included in relevant worker vaccination sequence groups, inter alia this should cover frontline staff who were at increased risk in the course of performing their duties in a clinical setting – for the avoidance of doubt, where a person was working in such a setting, they are in scope.

The Department of Health will also introduce a similar measure for frontline staff in all nursing homes and hospices (whether public, private, voluntary, Section 39 etc.).

The Department of Health is working together with the HSE to provide additional details on this measure including full eligibility criteria, particulars and terms and conditions that apply.

There are many, many individuals in our country who did so much during the pandemic. I and the Government are sincerely grateful for this commitment but it is appropriate that these public sector frontline healthcare workers get particular recognition. They exposed themselves to particular COVID-19 risks that did not exist in other work environments or for those working from home.