Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 February 2022
442. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure the pandemic bonus payment will be paid to persons in receipt of the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7401/22]
View answerFirstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
In recognition of the efforts of the general public, volunteers and all workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Wednesday 19 January, the Government announced a once-off public holiday will take place on Friday 18 March 2022.
The Government also announced COVID-19 recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. The payment of €1,000 will not be subject to income tax, USC, or PRSI. The measure will be ring fenced to staff ordinarily onsite in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments within the period between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021.
Those public sector frontline healthcare workers eligible for the payment will be directly employed public health sector staff working in clinical settings. A pro-rata arrangement will apply for eligible part time staff / equivalents and supernumerary students who were required to perform training in clinical sites.
The Department of Health will also introduce a measure for making a similar payment to staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices that were affected by Covid-19.
I would like to assure the Deputy that work is underway to ensure fairness in the application of this measure as the Government intended.
The Department and the HSE are currently engaging in finalising arrangements to give effect to the Government announcement concerning the Recognition Payment. Full particulars, eligibility and terms and conditions that apply to this payment shall be made available shortly. It is important that this measure is applied fairly as intended and I welcome the work that is ongoing to ensure this is so.
I recognise that individual family carers played a critical role in helping alleviate the impacts of the restrictions during the pandemic for their loved ones. There is, however, a distinct difference between those workers who went to the workplace at a higher risk through close proximity to potentially dozens of patients on a daily basis and those individuals who may be caring for an individual during the pandemic.
I am extremely grateful for family carers assistance during the pandemic, but I am mindful that their risk was extremely limited in comparison to those frontline workers who worked in hospitals, wards, clinics day in day out in handling multiple patients. I would sincerely like to re-iterate my appreciation for carers who took care of individuals during the pandemic but the Government’s focus remains to give additional recognition to those frontline public sector and nursing home healthcare workers at greatest risk.
