THE €1,000 TAX-FREE bonus for frontline healthcare staff has been extended to include home help workers, the Minister for Public Expenditure confirmed.

In response to a question on the matter from Michael Collins TD, Michael McGrath confirmed the change to the government’s payment plan.

McGrath told the Dáil that home help workers – employed directly by the HSE or by a private provider doing work on behalf of the HSE – will be included in the recognition payment.

The government confirmed plans to provide the €1,000 tax-free bonus for public sector healthcare workers last week.

Frontline healthcare workers in nursing homes, porters and cleaners in healthcare settings, hospice workers, student nurses, those working in HSE test centres and members of the Defence Forces seconded to healthcare roles will all be eligible.

Staff in private sector nursing homes affected by Covid-19 will also get the payment, with the Government stating that a pro-rata arrangement will apply for eligible part-time staff. However, workers in private hospitals and family carers are not eligible.

The bonus is expected to appear in the regular payroll payments of those workers by March.

Following today’s confirmation by Minister McGrath, Labour health spokesperson Duncan Smith said the payment should be extended to include all workers in the disability sector, including section 39 organisations (agencies under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004 where the HSE provides a grant to allow the agency to provide services similar or ancillary to the HSE).

“I was deeply concerned to hear that workers from the disability services sector were to be excluded from the once-off bonus. Many of us know first-hand the sacrifices made by these frontline workers to care for our loved ones. These workers have gone above and beyond the call of duty for Ireland over the past year and this effort must be recognised by government,” said Smith.

Likewise, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North West, Michael Moynihan, said that Section 39 carers should also be included as part of this recognition payment.

“They continued to provide extraordinary levels of care to loved ones during the pandemic and played a significant role in supporting our healthcare system by taking care of vulnerable family and friends,” said Moynihan

“I am urging my colleagues in Government to recognise their efforts and extend the Covid bonus in acknowledgement of the meaningful contribution they have made throughout the course of the pandemic.”