Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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1104. To ask the Minister for Health the Government’s up-to-date position regarding a scheme to assist those frontline workers who are absent from employment due to long-Covid. [47348/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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For a certain cohort of employees suffering from long-Covid, a Special Scheme of Paid Leave for Employees Unfit for Work Post Covid-19 Infection, specific to the public health service was introduced on 1 July 2022.Prior to this date, this cohort of employees had been supported financially by Special Leave with Pay that was introduced by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan and Reform (DPENDPR) at the start of the pandemic.

This Special Scheme was due to conclude on 30th June this year. In recognition of this ongoing matter, sanction to extend the Special Scheme for a period of 12 months was sought from the DPENDPR, however the sanction provided was for a period of just four months to 31st October 2023.

As my wish is to continue to support this cohort of health care workers, my Department sought approval from the DPENDPR to further extend the Special Scheme to end June 2024 in line with the original request to extend. Approval has now been received from DPENDPR to extend the Scheme to 31st March 2024, after which date, any employee on the Special Scheme remaining unwell, may utilise the provisions of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme thereafter.

For public health service employees who did not qualify for the Special Scheme, the provisions of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme may be utilised.