Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health David Cullinane TD has called for clarity and guarantees on the pandemic bonus for non-agency, non-HSE employed health service workers, such as contract cleaners, security, and catering staff.

He said that there remained doubts and unresolved issues around paying the bonus to privately employed contract workers who work in public hospitals, in home care, or for section 39 organisations, who were to be covered by the original Government decision, and that he had raised these concerns directly with the CEO of the HSE Paul Reid.

Teachta Cullinane said:

“Anyone that worked in a clinical Covid-19 exposed environment – such as a hospital – deserves the pandemic bonus.

“Yet, 5 months on, there is still a lack of clarity for contract workers who are privately employed but working for the public healthcare system.

“There are unresolved issues which have led to some workers being told that they will not get the payment, which I have raised with the CEO of the HSE.

“It is still unclear if they will get it and no process has been worked out on how they will be paid.

“It is really important that these workers, many in lowest paid jobs, and including cleaning, security, catering workers, get the payment.

“Health Service contract workers need clarity and guarantees that they will be paid the pandemic bonus in the coming weeks.”