Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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744. To ask the Minister for Health when a full list of eligibility criteria for the pandemic special recognition payment will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27909/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The pandemic recognition payment is being rolled out to eligible HSE and Section 38 staff currently. Some cohorts have received the payment, and every effort is being made by local sites to process the remainder through their payroll systems. 

Separately, my Department is preparing information for those other certain healthcare employees that are covered by the Government Decision, and the process available to their employers to implement this measure for their eligible staff. I am keen for this work to conclude shortly so that rollout and payments can begin. This shall cover eligible staff in:

- Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary, Section 39 etc.);

- Eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities;

- Agency roles working in the HSE;

- Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;

- Redeployed members of Department of Defence to work in the HSE;

- Paramedics employed by the Department of Local Government, Housing and Heritage

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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745. To ask the Minister for Health the supports that are in place for staff that cannot work due to suffering from long-Covid given that special leave with pay has been withdrawn. [27925/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform introduced COVID-19 Special Leave with Pay for all public sector employees at the start of the pandemic, as a temporary measure to assist in preventing the spread of the virus in the work premises.

I am aware that long COVID is an issue for a number of public health sector staff, who remain absent on Special Leave with Pay in respect of long COVID. 

Officials in this Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will engage on this issue in advance of further changes being introduced in respect of COVID-19 Special Leave with Pay.

In respect of occupational supports available to support staff of the public health service who remain absent with long COVID, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.