Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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407. To ask the Minister for Health if she will outline the process through which people availing of the special long-Covid sick pay scheme for healthcare workers will be supported as they transition to the public service sick leave scheme; the way in which these people may be eligible for ill health retirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33335/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The supports available under the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme include:

Full pay sick leave for three months. Followed by half pay sick leave for three months, and after that, Temporary Rehabilitative Remuneration. TRR is an additional payment that is designed to support people recovering from longer-term illness or injury. The rate of TRR is 37.5% of the remuneration you would otherwise receive, were you not on sick leave. This rate is inclusive of any Illness Benefit that may be payable to an individual. In order to qualify for TRR, an individual must have accrued at least two years’ service in the Public Service, and there must be a reasonable prospect of them returning to work to deliver regular and effective service. If approved, TRR is available for 547 days on TRR in a rolling four-year period.

The Critical Illness Protocol will also provide further supports if granted. If an employee is deemed to have a “critical illness”, the duration of sick pay can be extended under certain circumstances. The employee should ordinarily be under the current or recent ongoing clinical care of a hospital consultant. The employee must have been deemed medically unfit for work by an Occupational Physician, and the medical condition must have at least one or more of the following characteristics:

• Acute life threatening physical illness.

• Chronic progressive illness, with well-established potential to reduce life expectancy.

• Acute major physical trauma ordinarily requiring corrective acute operative surgical treatment.

• In-patient or day hospital care of 10 consecutive days or greater, 2 days or greater of inpatient care if pregnancy related illness.

The Public Service Sick Leave Scheme also provides for reasonable accommodations to assist those returning to the workplace by permitting them to perform modified duties or to work an amended pattern where necessary while rehabilitating.

Retirement on ill health is dealt with on a case by case basis.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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408. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 321 of 11 June 2025 to outline, of the new approved maximum whole time equivalent (WTE) staff figure of 129,753 for the HSE and Section 38 agencies, the number of those that will be available to the HSE Kerry/Cork region; the number of WTE staff currently employed in the region; what increase will the new approved maximum allow for this region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33342/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.