Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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243. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the date on which Covid-19 will be recognised as an occupational illness in Ireland. [58602/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Covid-19 does not constitute a prescribed disease or illness as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as it does not meet the criteria laid down in the Act. Section 87 (2) of the Act states that a disease or injury shall be prescribed for the purposes of this section in relation to any insured persons, where the Minister is satisfied that -

(a) it ought to be treated, having regard to its causes and any other relevant considerations, as a risk of their occupations and not as a risk common to all persons, and

(b) it is such that, in the absence of special circumstances, the attribution of particular cases to the nature of the employment can be established or presumed with reasonable certainty.

My Department is monitoring the work and recommendations of the European Commission in this regard. We understand that the Commission is committed to updating their Recommendations on Occupational Diseases by the end of this year.

My Department reviews its supports and schemes regularly to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives. Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy, legislative and budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.