Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

171. To ask the Minister for Health the systems that are in place for financial protection and assistance for frontline healthcare workers who, having contracted Covid-19 in the course of their hospital duties, subsequently developed long-Covid, and having exceeded their sick leave, are now to face their continued absence from work without any pay; his views on whether a particular duty on the part of the State pertains to those workers who developed long-Covid from infection contracted in the line of fulfilling their own work duties for the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56767/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have provided for Special Leave with Pay (SLWP) for civil and public servants nationally who contract Covid, for the recommended isolation period.  SLWP provides for paid leave, including full pay, any fixed allowances payable as well as premium payments.

For certain employees who remain unfit to attend the workplace and are suffering from long-Covid, a scheme, specific to the public health service has been introduced to provide for Paid Leave for Public Health Service Employees Unfit for Work Post Covid Infection.

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.

 For those who do not meet the criteria of the Scheme, the provisions of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme can be utilised, which provides for access to paid sick leave (3 months at the full rate and 3 months at the half rate), followed by access to paid sick leave at a rate of temporary rehabilitative remuneration (TRR) for a further 545 days.