Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)

With respect, the Government is splitting hairs in distinguishing between Covid-19 and long Covid. Clearly, long Covid resulted from Covid-19. The reality is that the request has been for a framework to be put in place to support these specific workers. We are only talking about health workers. We are not talking about gardaí or the many other front-line workers who went out to work during that period. The Government gave false hope last year that some sort of scheme would be put in place. Now those hopes have been dashed. It is shameful that people have had to go to the High Court and that unions have had to go to the Labour Court to try to get respect for those workers who contracted this illness in the workplace. My direct appeal to the Minister is that she ensures some sort of new scheme will be put in place in specific recognition of those workers, their experiences, their desire to get back to work and their need to be supported. The scheme should be separate from the sick pay scheme that exists in the health service.

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