Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha:

The INMO's submission today will focus on a matter briefly touched on during the previous discussion on childcare, namely, the high rate of infection among healthcare workers, which currently stands at 34% of all of those who have been infected with Covid-19 in the Republic. Of those, 32% are nurses and midwives. We believe it is time for the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, to be involved and that an examination of the high infection rate among healthcare workers must be examined by the statutory agency tasked with this particular responsibility. It is unfair and disrespectful to healthcare workers when the HSA has not been given the statutory authority to investigate the cause, identify the reasons and make recommendations. We have to do better.

I am accompanied by a staff nurse, Siobhán Murphy, who has been infected with Covid-19. She is currently on week 14 of an absence from work and she has had severe side effects as a result of being infected at work.

We know that 80% of all infections within the healthcare setting have been occupationally acquired. We have surveyed our members and we know their biggest concern relates to the fact that, as the committee knows, the pandemic is still within our health service. The idea that they have to face it again with the current level of support absolutely terrifies them. I will hand over to Ms Murphy for one minute to outline her personal circumstances.