Stephen Donnelly says the payment is a "token of the appreciation and gratitude" for frontline workers who battled against Covid-19.
Frontline healthcare workers will receive a pandemic bonus of up to €1,000 in their next paycheque, according to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
Donnelly has said that the payment will arrive "as soon as possible", with protocols for authorising the bonus set to be published by the HSE next week.
The bonus – which amounts to either €600 or €1,000 – will be delivered to HSE employees in the next available payroll.
The payments will be subject to local processes.
The bonus is eligible for healthcare employees who worked between 1 March, 2020 and 30 June, 2021 in an environment which warranted their inclusion in Sequence Group 1 and 2 for the vaccination programme.
The value to each eligible employee is based on contracted hours between 1 March, 2020 and 30 June, 2021 and will be pro-rated on the following basis:
- Employees whose contracted hours are equal to or greater than 60% WTE for their grade shall receive €1,000
- Employees whose contracted hours are less than 60% WTE for their grade shall receive €600
Employees who worked less than four weeks in total during the period are not in scope.
A further phase of the payment will apply to staff who are not employed by the Health Service Executive, including workers in private sector nursing homes and hospices.
Details on that level of payment will be announced in the near future.
"I welcome the significant efforts made to progress the payment of this measure," said Donnelly on Friday (15 April).
"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.
"The necessary circulars to activate this payment have been finalised and will be published by the HSE early next week."
https://twitter.com/DonnellyStephen/status/1514932706009882633
The Minister noted that the measure has been introduced "as a token of the appreciation and gratitude" that he and his colleagues have for the ongoing efforts of frontline public healthcare workers in the ongoing fight against Covid-19.
"I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all involved – in particular our frontline public sector healthcare workers and the unions who represent them – for their patience and extensive engagement while this important once off measure was progressed," Donnelly added.
Featured Images via Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie
