Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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555. To ask the Minister for Health if contract workers, such as contract cleaning staff, contract catering staff and contract security workers as opposed to agency workers who worked in the health service including in hospitals during the Covid pandemic will be eligible for the pandemic recognition payment; if so, when they will be paid the bonus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56420/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 555 and 578 together.

Firstly I would like to thank all healthcare workers for their extraordinary efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government announced a COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for certain frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. To date, over 124,000 workers have received the payment, and payments to eligible HSE and Section 38 staff are substantially complete.

I have instructed officials to expedite rollout to other cohorts as a matter of priority. I can confirm, subject at all times to fulfilling all the eligibility criteria for the recognition payment, that both agency staff and contract staff (e.g. eligible cleaners/catering/security staff, etc.) are to be included in the KOSI process for cohorts 1-4 below.

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.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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556. To ask the Minister for Health if categories of workers (details supplied) are eligible for the pandemic recognition payment; if so, when they will be paid the bonus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56421/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Firstly I would like to thank all healthcare workers for their extraordinary efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government announced a COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for certain frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. To date, over 124,000 workers have received the payment, and payments to eligible HSE and Section 38 staff are substantially complete.

Certain non-HSE/Section 38 healthcare employees are also covered by the Government Decision. These include 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 frontline Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE;

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

The HSE and KOSI Corp are currently progressing the rollout to eligible staff in cohorts 1-4 above. Information on the process involved has now been provided by the HSE and KOSI Corp to relevant organisations, and payments are being processed quickly as data is returned by employers.

The Department of Health has transferred funding to the Department of Defence and Dublin City Council to enable payments to eligible staff in cohorts 5 and 6 above, and payments to these staff will be arranged by their respective organisations shortly.

The Government is mindful of other workers who played an important role during this challenging period in sustaining important services. It was very difficult to draw a line on this matter, but the Government based its decision on the risks which eligible healthcare workers faced.

Outside of the State’s recognition measures, the Government also notes that some private sector healthcare employers have recognised the work of their employees during the pandemic. The Government would encourage private sector healthcare employers that have not already done so to consider appropriate measures to recognise their own frontline workers for their work during this most trying period.