Frontline healthcare workers to get Covid bonus 'in next payroll'

Earlier this week, healthcare unions criticised delays in establishing the pandemic special recognition payments and wrote to officials in the Department of Health and the HSE to request an update. File Picture: iStock

Frontline healthcare workers will receive their pandemic special recognition payment in their next pay packet, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said.

Mr Donnelly said the payment, which will amount to either €600 or €1,000, would be paid to eligible HSE staff "as soon as possible."

Mr Donnelly also said a "further phase" of payments, which will include private nursing home staff, hospice staff, and other workers not employed by the HSE, would be announced "in due course".

Earlier this week, healthcare unions criticised delays in establishing the pandemic special recognition payments and wrote to officials in the Department of Health and the HSE to request an update.

"The necessary circulars to activate this payment have been finalised and will be published by the HSE early next week," Mr Donnelly said on Friday afternoon.

“I welcome the significant efforts made to progress the payment of this measure," he said. 

"This is the result of extensive work by officials in my department and the HSE, as well as consultations between the HSE, Department of Health and health sector trade unions."

According to the Department of Health, the payments will be made to those who, between March 1, 2020, and June 30 2021, worked in an environment which warranted their inclusion in Sequence Group 1 and 2 for the vaccination programme."

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Among those set to receive the payment are: 

• Healthcare assistants — support staff employed by HSE/Section 38 employers such as cleaners / maintenance /porters / catering/clinical waste / and Central Sterile Services department staff (CSSDs); 
• Ambulance (paramedics) staff; 
• Administration staff that meet the criteria - for example, ED reception staff, OPD staff, etc. 
• Consultants; 
• Nurses and midwives; 
• Medical laboratory staff; 
• Health and social care professionals; 
• Non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs);
• Swabbers; 
• Vaccinators; 
• and healthcare support assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support).

However, the Department of Health said this list was not exhaustive. 

The amount each worker will receive is based upon contracted hours between these dates — employees whose contracted hours are equal to or greater than 60% whole time equivalent (WTE) for their grade will get €1,000, and employees whose contracted hours are less than 60% WTE for their grade will get €600.

Workers who worked for less than one month during this time period are not included in the scheme.

A spokesperson for the HSE said further details on the scheme, including FAQs, would be published next week. 

Mr Donnelly said the payment was introduced as "a token of the appreciation and gratitude that myself, my colleagues in Government and the Irish people have for the ongoing efforts of our frontline public sector healthcare workers to protect us all from the worst impacts of Covid-19. 

He also thanked all frontline public healthcare workers and their unions "for their patience and extensive engagement while this important once-off measure was progressed."