Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
687. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a direction will be issued to local authorities authorising the payment of the Covid-19 recognition payment to fire brigade personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44283/22]
View answerOn 19 January 2022, the Government announced a Covid-19 recognition payment for frontline healthcare workers to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. This once-off payment is ring fenced to staff who were ordinarily onsite in Covid-19-exposed healthcare environments within the period from 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2021. It applies to eligible staff in the public health service and six other specific cohorts, one of which is staff employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver paramedic services on behalf of the Health Service Executive.
My Department, in conjunction with the Local Government Management Agency, is currently liaising with the Department of Health to finalise the modalities of how this recognition payment is to be made to eligible staff. Although it is currently not possible to state when recognition payments will be made, my Department is seeking to finalise these arrangements as soon as possible.
