Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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85. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to include healthcare workers suffering with long Covid symptoms within the occupational injuries benefit scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8935/25]

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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I welcome the Minister and congratulate him on his appointment.

A cohort of healthcare workers with severe long Covid who contracted the virus at the height of the pandemic in high-risk settings are suffering with chronic disabling symptoms and have not been able to return to work as a result. I know this because in my previous role as a psychologist I worked with many of these workers. Some have been out of work for four years and nearly up to five years. Will the Minister grant these workers who sacrificed so much on behalf of all of us, who are now paying an enormous price with their quality of life, the financial security of an occupational injury scheme?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy and congratulate him on his election. I look forward to working with him.

In November 2023, the Department of Social Protection published a report on the inclusion of long Covid in the occupational injuries benefit regulations. This report concluded that Covid-19 did not satisfy the statutory criteria for recognition as an occupational illness or accident at work. Specifically, it found that presumptions about workplace transmission would not be sustainable as it is not possible to establish with confidence that the disease has been contracted through a person's occupation and not through community transmission. This is because the data that was available showed that community transmission was the primary means of transmission. However, the Department of Social Protection's range of income supports, including illness benefit and invalidity pension, at the same or higher rates of payment as occupational injuries benefit, are available to people who cannot work due to the effects of long Covid.

With specific reference to employees in the health services the report found that the temporary scheme of paid leave for public health service employees was the appropriate channel through which a targeted sectoral support should be considered. A temporary scheme is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for public expenditure. That scheme has been extended a number of times, most recently to conclude on 30 June 2025. Any employee remaining unwell after that date may utilise the full provisions of the public service sick leave scheme which will provide further support.

I understand what people are going through with this condition. As a House, and as the Oireachtas, we should do more work on this condition and I look forward to working with the Deputy on that.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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The long-term prognosis for these healthcare workers is very unclear. They often suffer from a range of symptoms which include debilitating fatigue and malaise after very modest levels of activity and there is no clear treatment pathway for them. In some cases, healthcare workers have been out of work for between four and five years. Many were infected in early January 2021 following the so-called meaningful Christmas in which restrictions on movement were crudely lifted by the Government against public health expert advice, resulting in spiralling infection rates. That is something the State really needs to take into account. Many healthcare workers now afflicted with long Covid were particularly exposed to infection at the most critical stages of the pandemic in the course of providing vital care to others. This was at a time when many other workers were being protected by working from home. Some were not equipped with adequate PPE and many had not yet been called for vaccination at the time of infection. The State has a duty to look after them.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My own Department has 78 people in receipt of illness benefit with a Covid-related certification. Covid-related claims account for 0.6% of all illness benefit claims that were awarded so far this year. As well as illness benefit, my Department provides an invalidity pension and a disability allowance scheme for those who cannot work due to an illness or disability. That includes those who have not recovered following a Covid-19-related illness. I do not have statistics for the number of persons on these schemes who are suffering from long-Covid as there are often multiple conditions in the application process. My Department is available to try to support people through the invalidity pension and through the disability allowance if that can be done.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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On the temporary extensions of the special Covid leave with pay, these healthcare workers should not have to endure repeated last-minute cliff-edge moments regarding their financial security. They are being left in limbo for months on end while talks between trade unions, Departments and the HSE have remained at an impasse. They often do not know if they will be able to pay their mortgage in a matter of weeks. This is chronic stress heaped on so many other challenges. It is utterly heartless of the Departments of Health and Social Protection to put them through this. An occupational injuries scheme for healthcare workers afflicted with long Covid has been recommended by the EU strategic framework on health and safety at work. Healthcare workers with severe long Covid should be provided with pay security by the State into the future to remove financial stress from the many other challenges they face.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The temporary scheme of paid leave for public health service employees was identified in the report my Department published in November 2023 as the appropriate channel to target specific supports for employees in our health services. That scheme is being dealt with by the Minister for public expenditure. He has extended it. I will bring the Deputy’s concerns to him about its future extension and maintenance and running.