Extra leave and non-taxable vouchers are among options under consideration by the Government in recognition of work done by public-sector employees during the course of the pandemic.
It comes as unions representing healthcare workers issued a plea for Taoiseach Micheál Martin to intervene in a row over recognition for health workers’ efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Government sources said the current plans focus on recognising the work done across the public sector, rather than just being focused on some workers. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is leading on the project.
Hospital Report
However, in a letter sent on Friday, Fórsa, the Irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation and Siptu called on the Taoiseach to “intervene immediately to authorise the HSE and the relevant Government departments to engage with health service unions to agree and implement the promised recognition without any further delay”.
The unions claimed there was growing frustration among healthcare workers over what they said was the Health Service Executive's "failure" to put forward any proposals to deal with the matter at a recent Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hearing. The group of unions said it was told the HSE was awaiting Government authorisation to engage with them.
In the letter to Mr Martin, the unions wrote that healthcare workers "appreciate the many supportive statements from you and other Government representatives [but] have yet to see any tangible progress towards recognition for their efforts, and in many cases, sacrifice".
They said the impasse was “deeply damaging to the morale of all healthcare workers who, without exception, have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and willingness to respond to national and public need, as well as Government demands in response to the pandemic”.
The unions have referred the dispute to the Labour Court but want a political consensus on the issue, and claimed health workers in the UK, Northern Ireland and most European Union countries have seen their efforts recognised.
Concern
Meanwhile, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said there was "concern" about the trends of Covid patients in hospital growing, with 248 hospitalised with a Covid diagnosis on Sunday morning. This was up from 221 on Friday.
“The numbers of people in hospital with Covid definitely are a smaller proportion of the 11,000 people we would be treating in hospital at the moment. However, they do have a disproportionate effect,” he said. While vaccinations are working to reduce hospitalisations, illness, ICU and mortality, he had a concern about the rising case numbers, with more than 2,000 new cases diagnosed on Saturday and 1,758 further cases reported on Sunday.
He also said he had asked senior health-service executives to hold talks with maternity hospitals and patient groups about the issue of access for partners.
“We’re very anxious to all get to a much better place,” he said.
“We should always listen to the medics when talking about risks that they are managing through. Some people might disagree with them, but we can’t dismiss what they are saying. They are managing some real risks in trying to protect pregnant women and their babies.”
Meanwhile, three more deaths linked to Covid 19 have been recorded in the North. Stormont’s department of health said on Sunday there were also a further 1,294 cases of the virus identified over the previous 24 hour period.
Doctors in Northern Ireland have expressed concern at the increasing number of patients and hospital visitors who are not wearing masks. The British Medical Association said there were also more people refusing to take Covid-19 tests before coming for hospital appointments or when attending emergency departments.
Dr David Farren, deputy chair of BMA Northern Ireland’s consultants committee, said staff were facing aggressive behaviour when they challenged non-compliance.
