Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for raising this with me again. We should always acknowledge the extraordinary role, as the Deputy has done, of our healthcare workers and the role they played during the pandemic. They went far beyond the call of duty. Treating Covid in a front-line way at that time was an exceptional thing to do.

In recognition of that, especially from 2020, a temporary special scheme was introduced in July 2022 to support eligible staff who were affected by long Covid, in particular, in the public health sector. This was a scheme that no other sector had, which was important and appropriate. The scheme was designed to support those who had worked in high-risk environments, particularly before PPE and vaccinations were widely available and community transmission became more prevalent. At present, about 159 employees, as I understand it, remain on the scheme, the majority of whom have been supported with full pay for almost five years.

My Department has consistently worked to ensure these staff were looked after. At my Department's request, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation agreed to extend the scheme several times since its introduction. Following a Labour Court hearing in June of this year, a final extension was recommended to run until 31 December 2025, when it will formally conclude. Importantly, that does not mean all supports will end. Staff who remain unfit to work will move seamlessly into the public service sick leave scheme, which I appreciate is different but will ensure some measure of continuity of care and financial protection. Under that scheme, staff receive full pay for three months, followed by half pay for three months, and then have the option to apply for temporary rehabilitative remuneration, which can provide up to a further 547 days of paid leave. In addition, the critical illness protocol may provide supports for up to three years.

I am aware that the Minister for Social Protection has reviewed the EU recommendation on recognising Covid-19 as an occupational illness. It has been determined that Covid-19 does not meet the criteria required for recognition under the social welfare Acts.

See this speech in context