Home care organisations based in local communities have called on the Minister for Health to clarify when they will receive the pandemic bonus payment, issued to frontline staff as recognition of their work during the pandemic.
In recent months, the National Community Care Network (NCCN) - an organisation of not-for-profit care organisations that provide home care in communities - engaged with Government ministers and called for carers in community-based organisations to be included in the payment.
Under the original proposals, carers directly employed by the Health Service Executive received the bonus. The NCCN has said no information was forthcoming from Minister Stephen Donnelly regarding the bonus to those who are not directly employed by the HSE, but are providing State-funded care in the community.
Chief Executive of NCCN Fiacre Hensey said it was about recognising the tireless and invaluable work of thousands of hardworking carers. "Despite doing the same work as HSE employees, with the same risks, there has been little or no political recognition for carers who do not work for the HSE, even though the care they are providing is funded by the HSE through our members," he said. "The Government is yet to publish information for non-HSE frontline healthcare workers on when they will receive the payment." Mr Hensey added that at a time when the country is severely struggling to recruit carers, community carers needed to be valued properly.