Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
1035. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if a person who worked in a nursing home and later switched to an agency nurse position in a geriatric hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic will be entitled to the €1,000 Covid recognition payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14781/22]
View answerFirstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
The Government announced a 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.
This payment will be made to those eligible public sector frontline healthcare staff (inclusive of agency staff working for the HSE) who worked in clinical settings (e.g. – and noting this list is not exhaustive: those Doctors / Nurses / Health Care Assistants / Porters / Cleaners etc. that work in clinical settings. The measure encompasses Health Care Support Assistants (also known as Home Carers / Home Help) employed by or carrying out duties contracted to the HSE.
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.
The Department and the HSE are currently consulting with health sector trade unions on this matter. This consultation is part of the Department and HSE’s objective to finalise the application of this measure fairly. Upon conclusion of consultations with the trade unions, full details of the application process, FAQs and other particulars including how the pro-rata shall apply shall be published by the HSE.
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 would also like to remind the Deputy that the Department of Health cannot comment on individual cases.
