Dr. Sharon McGuinness:

With regard to the issue to which I alluded earlier, if a worker tests positive, that positive test has obviously already been notified to the Health Service Executive and the department of public health therein.

Clearly, if there are issues in a workplace with outbreaks or with a number of cases, we will be asked to get involved with the local outbreak control team in regard to that particular issue.

There is not a defined list of occupational illnessesper sein the country at this moment, but we do have legislation coming through Europe which will put SARS-CoV-2 into biological agents. Those regulations are being transposed through the Department, but we are also updating the code of practice which looks at the exposure of particular workers to SARS-CoV-2. The next step is looking at Covid as an illness, in and of its own right, in an occupational setting. We are reviewing the matter as we speak within the authority and we will bring forward a discussion paper in due course for the Department and our board.

I feel we have the required level of connection with public health. I go back to the point, which is really important, that an individual might have Covid and tell his employer, but it is not necessarily the case that he got it in the workplace. He could have got it out playing sport or out socialising. He could have been on leave or whatever else. It is a difficult one because, in effect, the reporting relates to the work activity and that is the challenge we have. That is why I am of the view that public health should lead on this in the first instance because it is about suppressing the virus and getting a case or an outbreak under control.

Anyone can make a protected disclosure to the authority on any matter. We also have a workplace contact unit. Anyone can contact us on any matter and we will address it. If it is not something we can address, we will certainly redirect it and help the person find the right source.