Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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222. To ask the Minister for Health if she will clarify the Government’s position on formally recognising long Covid as an occupational illness, particularly in light of recent recommendations from the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34855/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Government recognises the risk that public health sector staff faced in management of the pandemic and in July 2022 introduced a Temporary Scheme of Paid Leave for Public Health Service Employees with Long-COVID that no other sector had.

While the EU Advisory Committee on Health and Safety recommended the recognition of COVID-19 (not long-COVID) as an occupational illness in health and social care settings, recognition of COVID-19 nationally as an occupational illness falls under the remit of the Minister for Social Protection.

After reviewing the EU recommendation, the Minister for Social Protection found that COVID-19 did not meet the requirements to be recognised as an occupational illness in the context of the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme and the Social Welfare Consolidation Act.