Families of all frontline healthcare workers who died from Covid-19 will be eligible for compensation package, Health Minister announces

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Allison Bray

The families of all frontline healthcare workers who died from Covid-19 while carrying out their duties will be eligible for a retrospective compensation package, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced tonight.

Speaking in response to a Private Members Bill from Fianna Fail TD John Lahart proposing that the families of hospital locums who died from the virus while performing their duties should be entitled to compensation from the State.

Mr Donnelly said he fully supported the motion and would go a step further and include any frontline healthcare worker who contracted the deadly virus while at work.

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“Deputy Lahart raises an excellent question. Can a compensation scheme be put in place and the answer is yes,” he told the Dail.

“I will be bringing a proposal to Cabinet to this effect,” he said.

“I will be making sure that this will be applied retrospectively.

“It’s my intention that this scheme will apply to everyone who is a frontline, hands-on worker who put themselves a risk every day to keep the rest of us safe and sometimes tragically as we’ve seen today, they pay the ultimate sacrifice.

“It’s the least we can do to stand up and support our quite extraordinary frontline workers,” he said.