Paul Murphy: Government Abandons Health Workers with Long COVID

I remember in here, I think it was in here, if it wasn't in the Convention Centre, but I think it was in here that we all clapped for our health care workers. I remember going outside my house where people across the country came out to clap for our health care workers to say thanks for standing on the front line during COVID, thanks for putting your own health at risk for the rest of us, we've got your back. But it turns out we didn't have their back these workers are being abandoned by the government. I mean it's absolutely shameful where workers, health care workers who got COVID and then long COVID, likely because of the work that they were doing, have had serious impacts on their health, which I'll go into, have been abandoned by the government. The special payments that they were on were discontinued in December, they're on standard public service leave that gives them full pay for three months and in April their payments are going to be halved. They'll be left unable to pay their mortgages, unable to pay their basic bills, because the government refuses to recognise long COVID and COVID as an occupational illness. That's the answer here. If a nurse was to get hepatitis or HIV as a result of their work in the hospital, they'd go on the occupational illness scheme. That is what should be happening for those health care workers who got long COVID. I'll give you some testimony from a woman Fiona who was in touch with me who's a health care worker who has long COVID. I cannot put into words how debilitating long COVID is. I will be sick five years come January, three of my friends will be sick six years come March. My life as I knew it has changed dramatically. My career and health is now in ruins. I suffer from severe debilitating fatigue. Some days it is choosing between going for a shower or cooking dinner. As well as fatigue I have tachycardia, brain fog, joint pain, muscular pain, nerve pain, shortness of breath, headaches, nausea and vomiting, recurring mouth ulcers and tinnitus. I'm doing my best to recover but unfortunately I'm not there yet, so I need my pay protected till I am able to return. As well as being physically unable, the brain fog is a huge barrier. Right now I couldn't provide safe care to patients. As nurses we are accountable for our practice. If I return to work and make and made an error or omission that caused harm to a patient that would be entirely on me and I don't think anyone wants a nurse with brain fog looking after them. I've dealt with a number of people and campaigned on the issue of long COVID in general separate from the issue or as well as the issue of occupational illness. It obviously has a huge debilitating impact on people. The costs are immense again to quote Fiona, I travel to Dublin from Cork every six months to see Professor Lambert. All these appointments are between 200 and 250 euros. I'm grateful I have health insurance but all these consultant fees add up. My monthly meds are 80 euros every month. I'm very grateful though the DPS covers all my meds so they're capped at 80. GP visits are up to 75 euros a visit. What are these people supposed to do? I mean what's the government, what's the idea here? Are they, are you trying to force people who are still very sick to go back to work when they're incapable of working and when, as Fiona points out, they could make mistakes in their work as a consequence of that illness, of the brain fog in particular, which would have negative consequences for patients? Or do you want to force them to live in poverty by not providing them with a living income? We should remember back to all the thanks that we had for the healthcare workers, all the sacrifices they made for keeping our health service afloat, and then should support them by the simple measure which is in most European countries of recognising COVID and long COVID as an occupational illness. Why doesn't the government agree to do that? Firstly I'd like to thank Deputy Murphy for raising this issue, taking it on behalf of the Minister for Health and it's great to get an opportunity to provide an update and acknowledge the extraordinary role played by healthcare workers in protecting us during the pandemic. In recognition of those exceptional circumstances, a special scheme was introduced in July of 2022 to support eligible public health sector staff who developed long COVID. This was a temporary and exceptional measure, unique to the health sector, designed to acknowledge the particular risks faced by staff working in high exposure environments before PPE, vaccination and widespread community transmission were established. While the scheme was extended on several occasions at the request of the Minister for Health, the Labour Court recommended the final extension in June of 2025 and the scheme concluded on the 31st of December 2025. By that point employees remaining on the scheme have received support at full pay for almost five years through a combination of special leave with pay and the special scheme itself. Importantly, and I want to be very clear on this point, the conclusion of the special scheme does not mean that supports have ended. Staff will remain, staff who remain unfit to return to work have moved into the public service sick leave scheme, ensuring continuity of both care and financial protection. Since the conclusion of the special scheme, 104 employees have transitioned to the public service sick leave scheme, while a further 57 have now returned to work, including those phased return arrangements. Under the public service sick leave scheme, staff may receive full pay for three months, followed by half pay for a further three months. They then have the option to apply for a temporary rehabilitation remuneration, which can provide up to an additional 547 days paid leave. In addition, the critical ill protocol may provide support for up to three years where the relevant criteria are met. Beyond financial supports, staff are also entitled to reasonable workplace accommodations to assist with their return to work, and this may include modified duties or adjusted work time patterns during rehabilitation. These measures are intended to ensure that staff are supported, not only financially but also in practical terms, and that they recover and reintegrate into the workplace. All illnesses are treated equally under the public service sick leave regulations. This equity is a fundamental part of the public service sick leave scheme and avoids any perception that one illness or condition is more serious than others. The Minister for Social Protection has responsibility for these regulations and schemes and has reviewed the EU recommendation on recognising COVID-19 as an occupational illness and has determined that it does not meet the criteria required for recognition under the Social Welfare Act. While many other countries did recognise COVID-19 as an occupational illness, this related to COVID-19 itself rather than long COVID. For the information available, it is not clear that any country provided sustained full-pay support for long COVID comparable to Ireland's special scheme. While many staff members have already returned to work, the Minister is conscious that others continue to find difficulties. As such, she will meet with the Minister for Social Protection with a view of exploring what supports, if any, may be assessed by those for long-term challenges in returning to work. The Minister responds to say that this doesn't mean that we're not going to be supporting workers. You say staff may receive full pay for three months, correct, we're coming to the end of that, followed by half pay for a further three months. People have their bills, they have their child care bills, they have their mortgages, they have just existing in this cost of living crisis and they have a lifestyle based on their pay and they won't be able to survive based on a half pay. The Minister goes on to say they have the option to apply for temporary rehabilitative remuneration that is capped at 37.5% of salary. So you go from full pay to half pay down to just slightly more than a third of pay. Then there's reference to the critical illness protocol which may provide supports for up to three years when the relevant criteria are met. The problem is many health care workers have been turned down for the critical illness protocol with the HSE citing that long COVID doesn't meet the criteria, the employer needs to approve it. So it can be dressed up in whatever way the government wants but by shutting down the special scheme and not doing the long-term solution which is making it an occupational illness, you're throwing these workers who were on the front line, who had their health sacrificed for all of our benefit, they put themselves at risk, we're throwing them to the wolves. We really are putting them in an awful awful situation. I mean in terms of the rationale for not recognising COVID or long COVID as an occupational illness, it seems the government makes this distinction between COVID and long COVID. But the reason people have long COVID is because they got COVID lightly in the workplace and all illnesses are not treated equally. We do have a scheme, an occupational illness scheme. It is different, like I said, if you contract HIV or hepatitis as a result of your work you're treated in a certain way, it's an occupational illness and long COVID should be treated the same. Thank you. In conclusion, let me firstly just acknowledge the extraordinary service of our healthcare workers during the pandemic. I think the temporary special scheme for long COVID was an exceptional measure and that was introduced in recognition of the unique risk faced by staff in those early days and uncertain times and it provides sustained support for nearly five years, a level of protection unmatched in any other sector. So Deputy, you're dressing this up in another way, that it's not reflective of the level of support that has been provided to date. And although the scheme has concluded, it is important to reiterate that staff will not be left without support and those who remain unfit to work will transition into the public service sick leave scheme with continued access to full range of support, including temporary rehabilitation remuneration, the critical illness protocol and reasonable workplace accommodation. And this approach ensures that there's fairness, that there's equity across the public service and that we continue to provide meaningful and appropriate support for those affected. And I just want to again reassure the Deputy and the House that the Department of Health will continue to work with Minister Calliery in the Department of Social Protection, the HSE staff representatives and those across government to ensure that those supports are delivered effectively and compassionately to those who are affected.