Clon healthcare staff excluded from Covid-19 payments

By Zara Stout 

CORK South West Independent TD Michael Collins has claimed that some West Cork healthcare workers have purposely been denied a pandemic payment of €1,000.

Mr Collins explained that he believed the pandemic payment was to be made to all healthcare professionals who worked on the frontline during the height of the Covid pandemic.

‘Regrettably that has not been the case, as the workers in West Cork’s SouthDoc facilities and indeed the Clonakilty Medical Clinic have found out to their disappointment and astonishment,’ said Deputy Collins.

‘This is not just some oversight on the part of government, however.  A deliberate decision was clearly made to exclude these workers and staff and I find that reprehensible given that the dedication and the work they put in was on a par with many HSE hospital staff during the crisis. 

‘In fact, for many people, SouthDoc and the Clonakilty Clinic were the first port of call,’ explained Michael.

‘It is utterly demoralising for these West Cork health professionals to be effectively told, sorry, your efforts during a time of national crisis do not count. I want that attitude changed and I want due respect shown to the SouthDoc and Clonakilty Clinic staff who absolutely deserve recognition in the form of this payment,’ he concluded.