Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On 9 November, my colleagues and I in the Regional Group secured the unanimous support of this House for a motion on long Covid seeking immediate action because of the impact it is having on our health service. That includes studies such as the one published in the Irish Medical Journalin June 2021 which found that long Covid had a significant impact on our health system, particularly in terms of increased demand for healthcare services, longer hospital stays and increased healthcare costs. Another study by researchers in Trinity College Dublin, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicinejournal in September 2021, estimated that up to 11% of individuals infected with Covid-19 in Ireland are likely to experience long Covid which could lead to a significant burden on our healthcare system.

Patients with long Covid, many of whom are young with no underlying health conditions, are presenting to our health services with prolonged, multi-system symptoms that are impacting on their daily lives, affecting their ability to work and causing significant disability for some. Long Covid also has a significant impact on our workforce. It costs millions of euro in lost work and welfare. Data from the Department of Social Protection have shown that 0.8% of those who contracted Covid-19 and claimed the enhanced illness benefit payment were medically certified as being unfit to work 12 weeks later. If this is extrapolated across the total number of people infected with Covid-19 within the adult population, it equates to more than 21,400 people. The welfare data also show that 35% of workers on disability payments as a result of Covid-19 are out of work for at least six months.

Our motion called for the designation of long Covid as an occupational illness for front-line workers who contracted the virus due to their employment. Long Covid being listed as an occupational illness would allow front-line workers to avail of long-term income assistance until they are fit to return to work. At present, only healthcare workers who were out sick prior to 15 November 2021, which was before the Omicron variant was detected, are able to avail of paid leave. This will cease in June this year if they have not made a full recovery which would allow them to return to work. All other front-line workers, including healthcare workers out sick due to long Covid contracted as a result of their work, are now excluded from any support from their employers. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, has given a commitment to address this issue. She has written to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, looking to move on this issue. The former has responded positively.

She is still awaiting a response from the latter. Will the Tánaiste intervene, ensure the response is forthcoming and address this issue?

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