Health workers must get €1,000 Covid bonus says Offaly councillor

AN Offaly councillor has been told that health service workers who are due the €1,000 Covid-19 bonus will receive it in the coming weeks.

Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick sought an update on the payment at a meeting of the Dublin Mid Leinster Regional Health Forum, saying some who had provided a “quality service” during the pandemic had not received it.

The Fianna Fail councillor said the special €1,000 payment was to be made to those working in the HSE or agency services.

In response, the HSE's national director of human resources said that more than 75,000 individuals across the health service (statutory and Section 38s[services funded by the State]) have received the bonus payment, as of week ending 1 July, 2022.

“Determination as to who is eligible is made locally but we expect in the region of 100,000 staff to receive the payment,” the director's written reply to the forum stated.

“Whilst we cannot say when exactly the final payment will be made, it is our intention to have the majority of eligible employees paid in the coming weeks. We thank staff for their patience whilst we continue to process the payments.”

Commenting on the HSE response to his query, Cllr Fitzpatrick remarked: “All persons who provided health care to older and vulnerable people during this very difficult time must receive the payment as promised by the HSE.”

In January the Government agreed to pay what it termed a €1,000 tax-free “recognition payment” for eligible frontline health and ambulance workers.

An equivalent payment will be provided for relevant staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices that were affected by COVID-19, a Government statement at the time said.

The payment was announced simultaneously with the decision to make Friday, March 18 last “a once-off public holiday” 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.

From next year there will be a new permanent public holiday established in celebration of Imbolc/St Brigid’s Day.

This will be the first Monday in every February, except where St Brigid’s Day, February 1, happens to fall on a Friday, in which case that Friday February 1 will be a public holiday.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath said: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath, TD, said: “Collaboration and solidarity have been the hallmark of our national response to COVID-19. All sectors of our economy and society have made, and continue to make, important contributions to helping our country through the pandemic.”

The Minister added: “While no monetary amount could truly reflect the dedication of healthcare staff on the frontline, the government believes it is appropriate, at this time, that a once-off tax-free payment of €1,000 be provided for all eligible public service healthcare and ambulance workers, in recognition of their efforts.

“I want to thank them for their dedication and commitment during this extraordinary period. The payment, combined with the commemorative events which will be undertaken and the additional public holiday represent a balanced and timely recognition of the collective national effort that has been undertaken in response to the pandemic.”

An Tanaiste, Leo Varadkar, TD, said the €1,000 payment was in recognition of frontline healthcare workers' “work in dangerous and challenging conditions during the pandemic, and for the thousands of lives saved as a result of their efforts”.

The HSE has confirmed that not every worker will receive €1,000 because it is based on the contracted hours between March 1 2020 and June 30 2021 and will be prorated on the following basis - employees whose contracted hours are equal to or greater than 60% WTE (whole time equivalent) for their grade will receive €1,000; and employees whose contracted hours are less than 60% WTE for their grade will receive €600.

Some staff outside of the HSE and organisations funded through the Section 38 system are also eligible for the payment, such as those in private sector nursing homes and hospices (private, voluntary, section 39 etc); eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities; agency roles working in the HSE; health care support assistants (also known as home help, home care or home support) contracted to the HSE; redeployed members of Department of Defence to work in the HSE and paramedics employed by the Department of Local Government, Housing and Heritage.