Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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257. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a schedule of financial supports available to health care workers who suffer from long Covid following being infected with the virus in the course of their duties. [58604/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. It’s important to note that entitlement to these supports is generally not contingent on the nature of the illness or disability but on the extent to which it impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.

Illness Benefit is the primary income support payment for people who are unable to attend work due to illness of any type. Additional payments may also be made in respect of a qualified adult and qualifying children. It is payable for up to two years, based on the person’s continued eligibility. If the person continues to be ill beyond two years, they may be eligible to apply for the long-term illness and disability payments provided by this Department.

Invalidity Pension is a weekly pension to people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or disability. It is based on a claimant's social insurance contributions and medical condition and is not means tested.

Disability Allowance is a means-tested weekly payment for people with a specified disability who are aged between 16 and 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test, and a habitual residency test.

My department may also provide an Additional Needs Payment under our Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. This includes exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.

The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently on a social welfare payment or in employment. The payment amount will depend on a person’s weekly household income, their outgoings and the type of assistance needed. Payments are made at the discretion of the Community Welfare Officers administering the scheme, considering all the circumstances of the case.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.