Mr. Albert Murphy:

The issue regarding Covid is that 30% of those who got it got it in the workplace. There is a connection. People had to wait 12 days before they could claim the original special leave. There is a direct connection with employment. As Mr. Figgis said, we have tried since March 2021 to get into the WRC and resolve this issue. There are schemes in the health service, such as the blood-borne diseases scheme, that could form a basis for a Covid scheme under precedent. Quite frankly, bringing the Department of Social Protection in and asking whether it regards long Covid as an occupational disease for a benefit scheme is a red herring. It needs to put in place a scheme.

Regarding the overall picture, there are relatively few people who suffer from long Covid as a percentage of the workforce. The figure is less than 2%. This is not a Trojan horse. It is a recognised condition in Europe. The HSE has set up long Covid clinics. The people who went to work and put on the green jersey need to be looked after.