Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Minister of State is well aware, a very small number of staff who worked within the HSE and the medical services during a very difficult time, when Covid was there - 159, I understand - have long Covid. They are getting support from the HSE, but from 31 December of this year, that support will stop. I ask that serious consideration be given to putting in place a mechanism to give these people the support they need. They were the front-line workers. I have one letter here from a lady who wrote to the health committee - for today's meeting, in fact - and she set out that 40 staff members where she was working got Covid. She is now long term affected by Covid. It is clear that there have been a number of decisions internationally whereby recognition has been given to long Covid as an occupational illness. It is not treated as an occupational illness here and it needs to be. A new ILO convention, No. 192, requires benefits and protections for workers who become ill from occupational exposure to biological hazards. There is a European Commission recommendation to recognise Covid-19 as an occupational disease for healthcare and front-line workers. In addition, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has clearly set out its position.

These are front-line workers who gave everything to the system through a very difficult time, and we are now saying, "Not our problem", and that they should go onto a social welfare scheme, even though a lot of them have mortgages and young families. They are finding it difficult to accept this. It is time we stepped up to the line and gave the necessary support.

It should be remembered that if you are self-employed or privately employed, a lot of companies have illness packages in place in order that if you were to suffer an injury at work, that support scheme would remain in place until such time as you were able to go back to work. That does not apply in relation to the HSE. Yes, it applies for a period, but not after a three-month period. It was extended here in relation to Covid. I think it should be continued after 31 December because these are people who helped and supported patients who had Covid. They had to work through very difficult times providing healthcare to a large percentage of the population when everyone else was required to stay at home, including from schools, which were closed at this time. Yet they still went out to work, took the risks and provided the care. Now they find the State saying, "Sorry, not our problem. We have given as much support as we can but we are not prepared to continue with that support after 31 December."

A mechanism should be put in place for this exceptional circumstance. We always need to change the law. We always need to make sure we can adequately provide for those who have given their all to the system, especially the health system. I ask for the change to be made and for them to be given the necessary support.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for bringing this to the House and raising such an important matter. It gives me the opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary role our healthcare workers played during the pandemic. They went far beyond the call of duty, working on the front line, treating Covid-positive patients and doing so in those early days when the protections we now take for granted were not yet in place. Their courage and commitment can never be forgotten.

In July 2022, a special scheme was introduced to provide support to eligible public health staff who developed long Covid. This was a temporary, exceptional measure, unique to the health sector, designed to acknowledge the risks faced by staff working in high-exposure environments before PPE, vaccination and widespread community transmission were established.

As I understand, there are approximately 159 employees - the Deputy is right; that is the figure we have also been given - still on this scheme. Most of these staff have been supported with full pay for almost five years. The Department has consistently worked to ensure that these staff were looked after. At our request, the Department of public expenditure 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. The scheme will now run, as the Deputy said, until 31 December 2025, when it will formally conclude.

I want to be very clear: the conclusion of this scheme does not mean that supports will end. Staff who remain unfit to work will transition seamlessly into the public service sick leave scheme, ensuring continuity of care and financial protection.

Under that scheme, staff will receive full pay for three months, followed by half pay for three months. They will 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.

Beyond financial supports, staff will also be entitled to reasonable accommodations to assist them in returning to work. This may include modified duties or adjusted work patterns while they are rehabilitating. These measures are designed to ensure that staff are supported not only financially but also practically as they recover and reintegrate into the workplace.

While some EU countries recognised Covid-19 as an occupational illness, this applied to Covid-19 itself, not long Covid. To our knowledge, no country provided sustained full pay for long Covid similar to Ireland's special scheme.

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.

I assure the Deputy and the House that while the special scheme will conclude at the end of this year, the supports available to staff will continue under established public service arrangements.

I know that was part of what the Deputy had been looking for as well. I can assure him that we are very mindful of this and every help will be provided there.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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For clarification, is the Minister of State saying that in respect of the 159 people getting supports, from 31 December they will be entitled to get pay for a further three months and half pay thereafter? She is. The issue still arises whereby there are occupational illnesses but we have not put long Covid under those criteria. We need to do so because it is something new and we always need to amend definitions as changes arise. This has been a fundamental change.

I will give the Minister of State an example in relation to a member of my own family who got Covid and works as a geriatric psychiatric nurse. She was lucky she had a full recovery. When she went back to work, ten of the patients she had been working with had died in the two weeks she was off as a result of having Covid. That is the kind of difficulty that staff faced. It is not just about suffering the illness, but also about the trauma of dealing with the difficulties during that period. We need to take that into account as well.

I maintain that we should put a scheme in place, because we are talking about a very small number of workers, to give them the support. A lot of nursing staff, doctors and care assistants have young families and mortgages to pay. The insurance companies, where they may have mortgage protection, are not prepared to cover them. Those are the difficulties that some people I have come across have had to deal with. I know the Government seems to have made a decision on this, but I ask that this be reviewed and that we see what further mechanisms can be put in place to support these workers.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I will go back to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, with the Deputy's concerns. It is so important that we acknowledge the extraordinary services of healthcare workers during the pandemic. They did a marvellous job and their work was incredible. They would have seen people dying during their work and, as the Deputy said, that probably has affected them. It is important that we work together on this. I will certainly raise the Deputy's issues.

As I said, the scheme is concluding on 31 December 2025, but I assure the Deputy that staff will not be left without support. They will transition into the public service sick leave scheme, with full access to supports that include temporary rehabilitation, remuneration and critical illness protocol. It is important to thank the healthcare services for the work they did over Covid. As I said, I will definitely go back to the Minister with the issues the Deputy raised and we will see what we can do from there.