Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
1386. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify whether private security staff that worked at public hospitals during the first waves of Covid-19 are eligible for the Covid recognition payment; and if he will further clarify the way in which a person that is eligible for the payment, but has since moved jobs, may claim the payment from their former employer. [16498/23]
View answerLast year the Government announced a once-off, ex-gratia COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for certain front-line public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. Eligibility criteria for the payment were set following significant consideration and consultation.
While the Department does not comment on individual cases, I can confirm that in order to receive the recognition payment, staff must have:
• Been in COVID vaccination cohorts 1 or 2, and
• Worked ordinarily onsite in a COVID-19 exposed healthcare environment, and
• Worked for at least 4 weeks in the 1/3/2020 – 30/6/2021 period, and
• Worked in a HSE/Section 38 organisation, or one of the following:
1. Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary,Section 39 etc.);
2. Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities, working on-site;
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;
5. Members of the Defence Forces redeployed to work in front-line Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE;
6. Paramedic staff employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver services on behalf of the HSE.
Subject at all times to all other eligibility criteria, agency/contract staff working in eligible organisations are entitled to the Pandemic Recognition Payment. Agency/contract staff in the above covered organisations, subject at all times to all other eligibility criteria, are in scope. This may include, for example, eligible security/cleaning staff.
The HSE is working on rolling out the payment as a priority, with assistance from KOSI Corporation, and as such they would be best placed to answer operational queries about expected timeframe.
