Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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160. To ask the Minister for Health if steps are being taken to address the non-payment of the Covid-19 pandemic payment bonus to certain staff in section 39 organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7448/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Last year the Government announced a once-off, ex-gratiaCOVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for certain frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic.

Certain non-HSE/Section 38 healthcare employees are also covered by the Government Decision, and the HSE and KOSI Corp are currently progressing the rollout to eligible staff in the cohorts 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;

As of 10th February, 694 organisations have applied for funding to make the recognition payment. I am pleased to confirm that 542 organisations have already been paid or approved for payments for 45,383 eligible staff, with more due in the coming weeks.

The HSE is working on rolling out the payment with assistance from KOSI Corporation and while they are processing applications as quickly as possible, they are also undertaking important work to validate applications as they come in, to improve accuracy and ensure funds are handled appropriately. Thus far this work has identified errors in a large number of applications and has prevented €1.6 million in potential overpayments.

While every effort is being made to expedite payments, until KOSI Corp and the HSE receive information regarding the number of eligible staff in an organisation, funding cannot issue.

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