Skip to main content
Normal View

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 February 2022

Wednesday, 9 February 2022

Questions (65)

Charles Flanagan

Question:

65. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will take appropriate steps to ensure that the pandemic bonus payment will be paid to front-line nurses in the Irish Prison Service who worked over the past period of almost two years dealing with both suspected and positive Covid-19 patients in challenging circumstances in prisons; if he will acknowledge that prison nurses played a vital role in the protection of the State’s prisoners from the consequences of Covid-19 through the use of personal protective equipment, managing the isolation and quarantining of prisoners, cocooning the elderly and more vulnerable prison population by means of ongoing PCR testing of prisoners and in the latter stages of the pandemic through vaccination and ongoing care; and if he will confirm qualification for the bonus payment in view of this essential and emergency frontline pandemic work by prison nurses. [7103/22]

View answer

Written answers

There are many thousands of people across the country who went above and beyond over the course of the last two years. The continued contribution of so many people in all walks of life has been essential to getting us through this difficult time. Collaboration and solidarity have been the hallmark of our national approach to COVID-19 and the measures announced on 19 January are true to those principles.

After careful consideration, the Government made the decision to give all the people of Ireland a national day of recognition and commemoration on the 18th of March this year, and another permanent public holiday in February commencing in 2023.

The Government took many factors into consideration when coming to a decision in relation to any additional recognition measure for specific sectors, however it ultimately agreed that acknowledging certain frontline healthcare workers in the public sector and in private nursing homes and hospices in particular was the most fair and appropriate, whilst acknowledging all other healthcare workers and sectors with the public holidays.

This is a balanced package of measures that will benefit all workers across the economy, while also recognising in particular the risks faced by certain frontline healthcare workers during this pandemic.

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. This will be published as soon as possible. This work underway is to ensure fairness in the application of this measure as the Government intended.

Top
Share