Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha:

I think they were looking at it from a very singular point of view, that is, public health concern, and not looking at their responsibility as employer. I might add we are now dealing with another Department, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. Covid-19 is not classified as an occupationally acquired illness under our health and safety legislation, and it must be. Under the umbrella of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, we have written to the Minister with responsibility in this regard, Deputy Humphreys. I was circulated with a response from her Department last Friday which advises that the regulations will not be altered to include Covid-19 as an occupationally acquired illness. We believe that is wrong and a mistake. For every worker in this country, not just in the health service, who acquires Covid-19 because he or she is at work, that is an occupational illness and an occupationally acquired illness, and the Health and Safety Authority must amend its regulations in order to allow it to investigate why it was acquired. We are looking for the reasons behind these figures. We do not have the regulations that would require the Health and Safety Authority to come in as an independent statutory body and examine them. It must have that authority.