The extent and potential additional financial cost of ‘long COVID-19’ on this Department cannot be determined at this point. As an immediate priority, my Department is participating in various cross-Departmental groups to ensure that appropriate supports are available to personnel as required. My Department will continue to monitor the impact of ‘long COVID-19’ including any potential additional budgetary costs arising.
There are a range of measures in place across the Civil and Public Service to provide support to those who contract COVID-19 and these are published as part of the Guidance on working arrangements during COVID-19 for the Civil and Public Service and are available on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The response across the Defence Organisation to the COVID-19 pandemic incurred additional costs of €15.4 million, on the Defence Vote, in 2020. These additional costs arose mainly from providing personnel and operational supports to the Health Service Executive and included transport, communication (ICT) and logistic costs.