Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 March 2024
26. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will review the pandemic recognition payment for Defence Forces personnel who worked in test centres to make sure all deserving individuals received the payment, give some did not. [13277/24]
View answerIn January 2022, the Government announced a COVID-19 Pandemic Recognition Payment (PRP) for front-line public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. At Government level, the Department of Health has primary policy responsibility for this initiative, with the consent of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, as it was then.
The payment is not subject to income tax, USC, or PRSI. The Government announcement also made provision for a pro-rata application of the payment. The payment amounts to €1,000 for those eligible staff who worked at least 60% Whole Time Equivalent (WTE), for at least 4 weeks during the period between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021, and €600 for below 60% WTE. Those who worked less than 4 weeks are not in scope of the measure.
The measure is ring-fenced to eligible staff that were ordinarily onsite in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments during the pandemic. In terms of Defence Forces personnel, this means members of the Defence Forces redeployed to work in front-line Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE.
Work to identify all COVID-related duties undertaken by members of the Defence Forces has been completed by Military Management in order to identify personnel who may be eligible for this recognition payment.
The validation and subsequent payment of the PRP, to those members of the Defence Forces, deemed eligible and therefore in line for payment of the PRP, have been processed by the Department of Defence, based on information supplied by Military Management, a process which was ongoing from October 2022 to the end of 2023.
At this point in time I am assured that all members of the Defence Forces, deemed in scope for payment of this PRP, have received their payments and I have been advised that there are no outstanding cases.
