Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State's clarification that if a person has to self-isolate or restrict his or movements, he or she is entitled to the illness benefit payment. There is an important question with regard to the certification that a person requires to be eligible for that payment. For example, is a doctor's note required? Currently, when a person presents for a test and is diagnosed with Covid-19 there is a paper trail, but this is much less the case where a person has a negative result but is still required to restrict his or her movements for 14 days. I urge the Minister to clarify the certification required and to place emphasis on the need to communicate this to the wider public. The Minister of State referred to the need to slow down this virus. Unless we tell people who are restricting their movements that they will receive this benefit, some people may go to work or conduct their activities in public and we need to discourage that.