85. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to include healthcare workers suffering with long Covid symptoms within the occupational injuries benefit scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8935/25]

Sentiment score: 0.00

I welcome the Minister and congratulate him on his appointment. A cohort of healthcare workers with severe long Covid who contracted the virus at the height of the pandemic in high-risk settings are suffering with chronic disabling symptoms and have not been able to return to work as a result. I know this because in my previous role as a psychologist I worked with many of these workers. Some have been out of work for four years and nearly up to five years. Will the Minister grant these workers who sacrificed so much on behalf of all of us, who are now paying an enormous price with their quality of life, the financial security of an occupational injury scheme?

Sentiment score: 0.04

The long-term prognosis for these healthcare workers is very unclear. They often suffer from a range of symptoms which include debilitating fatigue and malaise after very modest levels of activity and there is no clear treatment pathway for them. In some cases, healthcare workers have been out of work for between four and five years. Many were infected in early January 2021 following the so-called meaningful Christmas in which restrictions on movement were crudely lifted by the Government against public health expert advice, resulting in spiralling infection rates. That is something the State really needs to take into account. Many healthcare workers now afflicted with long Covid were particularly exposed to infection at the most critical stages of the pandemic in the course of providing vital care to others. This was at a time when many other workers were being protected by working from home. Some were not equipped with adequate PPE and many had not yet been called for vaccination at the time of infection. The State has a duty to look after them.

Sentiment score: -0.14

On the temporary extensions of the special Covid leave with pay, these healthcare workers should not have to endure repeated last-minute cliff-edge moments regarding their financial security. They are being left in limbo for months on end while talks between trade unions, Departments and the HSE have remained at an impasse. They often do not know if they will be able to pay their mortgage in a matter of weeks. This is chronic stress heaped on so many other challenges. It is utterly heartless of the Departments of Health and Social Protection to put them through this. An occupational injuries scheme for healthcare workers afflicted with long Covid has been recommended by the EU strategic framework on health and safety at work. Healthcare workers with severe long Covid should be provided with pay security by the State into the future to remove financial stress from the many other challenges they face.

Sentiment score: -0.08