Healthcare staff who worked during the Covid pandemic are being treated like "zeroes" instead of "heroes"
That was just one of the comments made by members of Ballybay/Clones Municipal District in relation to the number of community health care workers who are yet to receive their one thousand euro Covid Bonus.
At Monday's meeting, Cllr Seamus Coyle highlighted that it has been exactly eight months since health care workers were promised a one thousand euro Covid bonus.
Despite working through what he described as a "challenging period" and working in vulnerable positions were the workers themselves contracted Covid, many have yet to receive the bonus promised by Government.
As a result, Cllr Coyle proposed that Ballybay-Clones MD demand of the Government, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, and the HSE the immediate payment of the bonus to all community health workers and also private nursing home staff.
The motion which was seconded by Cllr Pat Treanor will also be forwarded to Monaghan County Council and all Oireachtas Members for the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.
Cllr Treanor went on to describe the situation as "outrageous," he added that some workers have moved on to other jobs and many are still relying on this bonus, especially given the times that we are now in.
He said there was once great praise for these workers during Covid, and now they have been "failed."
Elsewhere, Cllr Sean Gilliland said the situation was nothing short of a "disgrace."
Speaking to those in attendance, he said this what was once a "good will gesture" is now just a "slap in the face" to these people. He added that healthcare staff had sweat running off their shoes during the pandemic due to being wrapped up in PPE and that all political parties in Government should be disgraced with themselves that this has went on for so long.
Cllr Gilliland concluded by highlighting his "disgust" over the matter.
Meanwhile Cllr Richard Truell who spent a period of time helping in a nursing home during Covid said he can't understand how 85,000 HSE workers received the bonus back in June, yet a lot of non-HSE staff hasn't.
Speaking on his experience during the pandemic, Cllr Truell said staff like himself were wrapped up like onions in PPE and seen a lot of hurt.
He added that its "unfortunate" that community health workers are not heroes anymore and instead are being treated like zeros.
Cathaoirleach of Bally-Clones MD, Hugh McElvaney also expressed his concerns, stating that frontline staff risked life and limb during the Covid-19 pandemic.
