Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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3. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department will be recognising Covid-19 as an occupational disease in health and social care and in domiciliary assistance as agreed and recommended by the EU Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work in May 2022; if his Department recognises that this as an important step to implementing the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021 to 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46563/22]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the May 2022 recommendation from the EU Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work, on recognising COVID-19 as an occupational disease in health and social care and in domiciliary assistance, and, in a pandemic context, in sectors where there is an outbreak in activities with proven risk of infection.

In due course, the European Commission are likely to update its own recommendation concerning the European schedule of occupational diseases, and substances that can cause them, and that Member States will recognise this Commission recommendation. This will form an important part of the implementation of the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021 to 2027.

I would add that here in Ireland, since November 2020, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 place an obligation on an employer where an employee, whose work involves potential exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, becomes infected with COVID-19 to report this to the Health and Safety Authority.

This is in addition to the existing public health reporting obligations relating to COVID-19 infection. Under the Public Health Act (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, all infectious diseases are reportable to the Public Health Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting system (CIDR). COVID-19 was included in the Infectious Diseases Regulations in February 2020.

There is also a second reporting system under the National Incident Management System (NIMs) which collects national data on incidents of COVID-19 in the public healthcare sector in Ireland. These reporting systems are an important source of information in identifying prevalence and trends, monitoring progress, and informing interventions.

Separately, the inclusion of COVID-19 as an occupational injury under the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection under the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations, 1967 as amended.