Families of healthcare workers who died from Covid-19 to get €100,000 payment

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will bring a memo to Cabinet seeking approval for the payment. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The families and estates of healthcare workers who died from Covid-19 will be given €100,000 under plans going to Cabinet today.

It is understood that the Covid-19 Death In Service plan, being brought by Health Minsiter Stephen Donnelly, will cover the families of over 20 healthcare staff.

To qualify, workers will have had to have contracted the virus in the workplace. The payment will be tax-free and not linked to the salary of the person.

According to official figures, a total of 21 HSE staff have died from the virus.

Cabinet, in January, agreed that frontline public healthcare workers who worked in an environment in which they were exposed to Covid-19 will be given a one-off tax-free bonus of €1,000.

The plans for that payment have yet to be finalised, but sources said that it is likely that it will be paid to all frontline staff who were at risk of contracting the virus. The payment may be scaled based on the length of time they were exposed.

Speaking after Cabinet, Mr Donnelly said that he was keen to ensure the money was high in an international context.

He said that while no amount of money can replace a family member, it was important to acknowledge the sacrifice made by healthcare professionals.