FIFTEEN PEOPLE WHO were recently hired to carry out Covid-19 contact tracing have not been paid for four weeks due to an unexplained error.

The contact tracers, who were hired on temporary contracts and are based in University College Dublin, are set to be paid tomorrow following an investigation by recruitment firm CPL.

The issue was raised in the Dáil by People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barrett yesterday, when he accused the government of responding to the pandemic by using poorly-paid workers.

“You’re trying to fight Covid on the basis of cheap labour and utter gross exploitation, and the latest example of this is just absolutely scandalous,” he told Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

The Taoiseach promised to follow-up the issue, but insisted there was no agenda to not pay workers.

In a statement, a spokesman for CPL said the issue relating to payments for some contact-tracing staff was brought to its attention yesterday evening.

“We are investigating this issue as a matter of urgency and are speaking directly with our employees to speedily resolve this issue,” the spokesman added.

It’s understood that the investigation has now been completed, and that outstanding payments owed to the contact tracers will be processed today and in workers’ accounts tomorrow.