David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It does and the committee should probably write to the ICGP to get an update from it on what training it has provided and pass that on to the witnesses to see if more can be done because that is an important area.

My last question concerns the recognition of long Covid as a long-term illness. Yesterday, the Government announced the temporary special scheme for paid leave for healthcare workers would be extended beyond March by a couple of months. The Government said initially that while the scheme was meant to end at the end of March, long Covid would simply be treated as ordinary sick leave. As we know, ordinary sick leave is very limited. How important is it that a proper long-term scheme is put in place or that it is recognised as a long-term illness? What recommendations has Long Covid Advocacy Ireland made in that regard? I will leave it at that then and I thank the group for its presentations.