Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 June 2022
87. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on his Department’s guidance for public service employers during Covid-19 in relation to special leave with pay for Covid-19; if there are further plans in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31504/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the Department's guidance for public service employers during Covid-19, the special leave with pay for Covid-19, what are the Minister's further plans in this regard and will he make a statement on this?
I thank Deputy Ryan for raising this important issue. I will take this opportunity once again to acknowledge and pay tribute to the immense contribution made by our public servants, in particular across our health services, during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Their efforts ensured we kept services to the public and to the vulnerable in our society running, to the greatest extent possible, in the most challenging of circumstances. In recognition of this, the Deputy will be aware the Government provided for an additional public holiday earlier this year and a special recognition payment for healthcare staff, which is currently being paid to many of them.
Reflecting the obligations to self-isolate laid down in public health advice and to assist in the prevention of the possible onward spread of the virus in the workplace, special leave with pay for Covid-19 arrangements were introduced by my Department in March 2020. This was a temporary measure in response to the unprecedented circumstances presented by the Covid pandemic. Special leave with pay has been used in lieu of sick leave across the public service to assist in the prevention of the possible onward spread of Covid-19 in the workplace.
From the outset of the pandemic it has been made clear in the guidance and frequently asked questions document that was published at the time that special leave with pay is a temporary measure that is kept under regular review. Changes have been made to the arrangements over the course of the past two years in line with changes to public health, Government guidance, and the general return to the workplace.
It is important to note that special leave with pay is not ending. From 1 July 2022, special leave with pay for Covid-19 will continue to be available for the stated self-isolation period, which is currently seven days.
This is in keeping with the rationale of assisting in the prevention of the possible onward spread of Covid-19 in the workplace. I understand the Department of Health is working on a proposal to deal with legacy Covid cases in the healthcare sector. My officials will examine any proposals as soon as they are finalised. This issue has been raised directly with me by a number of colleagues across the House. The public service sick leave scheme continues in operation and in many instances the critical illness protocol will be relevant as well.
My colleague, Deputy Mairéad Farrell, has raised the issue of long Covid with the Minister on a number of occasions. When she did so, he informed us that flexibility was to be provided to public service workers. That is good. The scheme provides for certain payments to staff during periods of absence from work due to illness from long Covid. This is despite long Covid not being recognised by the likes of the HSE as a specific illness. With the pandemic emergency declared over, the scheme is being wound down. Is it still the case that the Government has no plans to introduce a special scheme for those suffering with long Covid? Many who are still suffering feel the additional resources the Government is providing are insufficient.
The special leave with pay scheme was an exceptional intervention, which was warranted back in March 2020 because of the need to ensure people who contracted Covid did not have to go to work and would be paid accordingly. It was never designed as an instrument in itself to deal with long Covid, which was not even recognised at the time as being in existence. We have the standard public service sick leave scheme and, as I have acknowledged, there is also the critical illness cover. There are examples of public service workers, particularly in healthcare, who contracted Covid and may still be out of work because of it. That is why I have acknowledged that the Department of Health is examining that specific issue and is engaging with my Department on it. I expect that the Department of Health will finalise a proposal in that regard shortly. We stand ready to examine that and assist in any way we can, while recognising that this probably impacts on quite a small number of people.
I appreciate what the Minister is saying. The Government has taken some measures in response to long Covid, but those who are still suffering feel it is not enough. The pandemic emergency may have been declared over but they are still suffering. For these people, long Covid is with them every day. It manifests in shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, brain fog, an inability to concentrate and a multitude of limiting impacts. I appeal to the Minister at the very least to meet the campaign group and hear what it has to say.
The Minister for Health is acutely conscious of this issue and there is work on it ongoing within his Department. There are legacy cases of people who, unfortunately, contracted Covid, quite possibly in the workplace, at a time when the risks were not fully known. They went to work to protect everybody else. The Department of Health is working on proposals that will be shared with my Department once they are finalised and we will respond as quickly as we can. The general public service sick pay scheme continues in operation. There are other categories of people who suffer from conditions and are availing of that scheme, as opposed to special leave with pay, because of when they contracted that condition. I am alert and aware of the issue. The Department of Health is working on proposals at this time. Those proposals will come to us and I will then respond as quickly as I can.
