Health Minister Extends Long-Covid Pay Scheme for Healthcare Workers

The Health Minister has announced that the temporary paid leave scheme for public health workers suffering from long-Covid will be extended until the end of the year. The scheme had been due to end this coming Monday, 30 June.

The extension follows a recommendation from the Labour Court in response to a case brought by healthcare unions in a bid to get the government to classify long-Covid as an occupational injury. The Labour Court stated that Covid-19 and long-Covid are not considered occupational illnesses or an injury at work in this jurisdiction and recommended a final extension of the current scheme to the end of the year.

The Special Scheme of Paid Leave was introduced in July 2022 for eligible healthcare workers suffering from the effects of long-Covid. Long-Covid is when people who have been infected with Covid-19 continue to display symptoms after the infection is gone. Symptoms can include extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, chest pain, problems with memory and thinking, problems sleeping, and more.

In the Dáil today, Labour’s Marie Sherlock asked if Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill would extend the scheme. Carroll MacNeill noted that the scheme had been extended on four occasions and added that it would conclude on 30 June. She said there are 159 healthcare workers currently on the scheme and in receipt of full pay.

Sherlock criticized the refusal to extend the scheme, stating it reflects a lack of empathy and respect for the workers. The Labour Court recommended a six-month extension, which Carroll MacNeill supports and will ensure the scheme is extended accordingly.