Donnelly: Pay nurses €1k Covid bonus now
Minister’s pledge to health staff on the frontline
HEALTH Minister Stephen Donnelly has told nurses he wants the special €1,000 Covid payment for frontline healthcare workers paid “immediately”.
It was first promised way back in January, but it has not been given to anyone yet.
Mr Donnelly was speaking at the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s conference in Sligo, his first address to the union since becoming minister nearly two years ago.
He added the payment was just a “small recognition” of the great work nurses had done at the coalface during the pandemic.
Mr Donnelly said: “In the face of the many challenges posed during this time, the INMO continued to support optimal care delivery through constructive engagement, both by the organisation and its leadership, and I would like to acknowledge these efforts. None of this has been easy. A number of healthcare workers lost their lives to Covid.
“Many of you, or your colleagues, became sick. You worked longer hours, under more stressful conditions.
“You made personal sacrifices. Ireland’s healthcare workers have represented the very best of our nation.
“For your extraordinary contribution, both I, as minister for health, the Government and the whole country, sincerely thank you. As a token of appreciation, the Government has announced an additional public holiday for all workers, and a special payment for frontline healthcare workers.
“I have made it very clear that I want all eligible nurses and midwives to receive this without delay.”
Earlier delegates passed an emergency cost of living motion calling on the Government to provide immediate relief for struggling nurses.
Delegate Mick Schnackenberg from Offaly told how colleagues of his have to access food banks to feed themselves.
He said: “As a nurse who lives in the Midlands, I can tell you that nurses are not immune to food poverty, at least six nurses in Tullamore are receiving assistance from food banks.
“This is shocking in 2022.”