Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Covid-19 has not gone away unfortunately, if you look at the case numbers, the hospital numbers, or at the number of people who are, tragically, dying every week. The Government, however, is acting as if Covid-19 is just gone away and is acting to remove a number of different supports from people from 1 July. On this Friday, for example, long Covid leave or special leave with pay is ending. People still have Covid and are still suffering the effects of long Covid but the Government is withdrawing that support. The Government has still refused to recognise long Covid as an occupational injury. In education, a circular has gone out from the Department of Education saying very high-risk individuals are no longer to be facilitated in respect of working remotely from 1 July but will have to return to the workplace, regardless of the fact they are recognised as very high-risk individuals. Will the Taoiseach act to stop these very regressive moves, recognise long Covid as an occupational injury, and not force people back into unsafe conditions they will regret?

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