Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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674. To ask the Minister for Health in view of the recognition of long Covid by the EU Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work as an occupational disease for healthcare workers, if he will justify the reason he has set a date of 84 days prior to 7 February 2022 as the threshold of special leave with pay for those with long Covid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51103/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The EU Advisory Committee on Health & Safety have recently recommended the recognition of Covid as an occupational illness in health and social care, however Member States vary in respect of their treatment of Covid in this regard.

I am advised by officials from the Department of Social Protection who operate the national Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, that Covid-19 does not constitute a prescribed disease or illness as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and that they do not intend on revising this position.

In Ireland, all civil and public sector employees have access to DPER's Special Leave with Pay re Covid. With effect from 7th February this year, access was capped at just 10 days paid leave, and this was further reduced by DPER to paid leave for the required isolation period only (currently 7 days) with effect from 1st July this year.

While a temporary Scheme for Paid Leave for Public Health Service Employees unfit for work post Covid infection had been introduced for eligible public health sector employees in recognition of the increased level of risk faced by some of our staff in clinically exposed settings, it was necessary to include some eligibility criteria in respect of access to the Scheme, particularly noting that the Scheme is specific to the public health sector only, and will provide paid leave for an additional period to those who faced the highest risks at the most challenging phases of the pandemic.

The HSE have issued the full details of the Scheme to all public health service employers by circular, and employees who meet the criteria for eligibility for the Scheme will have transferred to the new Scheme retrospectively from 1st July 2022.