Pandemic bonus paid to just 45% of agency staff
Storan Their It Which Waiting Staff Murphy Catherine Payment, Bonus Td Damien Social Democrats €1,000 Many 'hugely Disappointing' Picture: For Describing As Are Still
Less than half of agency staff working in the HSE have been paid the covid pandemic bonus.
In January of last year, the Government announced that frontline public healthcare workers who worked in an environment in which they were exposed to covid-19 would be given a one-off tax-free bonus of €1,000.
However, many staff are still waiting for this payment, which Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy describing it as "hugely disappointing".
While payments for 99% of those who worked in private sector nursing homes and hospices during the pandemic have been processed, this figure drops to just 45% of agency or contractor roles working in the HSE.
Ms Murphy, who obtained the information through a parliamentary question, said:
"The only reason we use these agency workers is because there isn't sufficient numbers of directly employed staff in the healthcare system."
A spokesperson said agency and contractor packs were issued later as the HSE was awaiting clarification from the Department of Health in relation to this cohort.
"Contractors and agencies, due to the nature of services provided and large number of service locations covered, have more supporting evidence to compile and collate before submitting their application," the spokesperson said.
Ms Murphy said that unlike HSE staff, many of these contract frontline workers would not have had the same benefits if they got sick or contracted covid during the pandemic.
To date, 85% of eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities have been paid the bonus, while 90% of health care support assistants, including home helps, have received the €1,000 payment.