Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha:

This is exactly the point. Those figures were produced to us on only two occasions, both following a direct request from us to the Minister to have the information provided. That is the role of the Health and Safety Authority and if anything comes out of this committee, it must be that the HSA, the statutory body with responsibility for examining this issue, is on the pitch. Its not being on the pitch means that healthcare workers are less important than other workers who have occupational illnesses and occupationally acquired personal injuries. It is very likely that there will be long-term effects of Covid infection. We know from the evidence that is coming out of China, for example, that there are long-term lung conditions, etc. The point is that we also have had issues where we have lost healthcare workers - workers who have died - but this is not a matter that is reportable to the health and safety authority in this country. That is an absolute scandal.