Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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307. To ask the Minister for Health if he will make a commitment that the pandemic bonus payment of €1,000 will be paid to all those entitled to receive it by the end of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54080/22]

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.

As of Friday 14th of October, over 124,000 HSE and Section 38 staff have received payment around the country.

The HSE are now progressing the rollout, with an external provider, to the list of 6 non-HSE/non-Section 38 organisation types covered by the Government Decision. This measure will be ring fenced to staff working ordinarily onsite in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments.

Information will be published shortly for those certain non-HSE/Section 38 healthcare employees that are covered by the Government Decision and the process available to their employers to implement this measure for their eligible staff. This shall cover eligible staff in:

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

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

3. Agency roles working in the HSE;

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

5. Members of the Defence Forces redeployed to work in front-line Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE;

6. Paramedics employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver services on behalf of the HSE.

The above 6 areas only are covered by this Government Decision and all eligible workers will be paid in accordance with the overarching eligibility criteria in place.

Please be assured that work on rolling out payment to non-HSE/Section 38 organisations is being prioritised and while the rollout of payments to the eligible workers in these organisations is hoped to begin shortly, it is not possible to comment on when payment will be received.