Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 January 2023
892. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of illness benefit and disability allowance, respectively, due to long-Covid; her plans to consider long-Covid as an occupational illness for front-line workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1266/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a suite of income supports to those who cannot work due to illness or disability. It is important to note that eligibility for these payments is generally not dependent on the type of the illness or disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.
Illness Benefit is a social insurance payment provided by this Department for those who cannot work due to illness of any kind. It is payable for a maximum of two years. Disability Allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment for people between 16-66 years of age who cannot work due to a long-term disability.
People who suffer from Long Covid may be certified by their doctor under a range of different conditions corresponding to their main symptoms or underlying illnesses. For this reason the Department is not in a position to report on the number of people in receipt of these income supports due to Long Covid.
Covid-19 or Long-Covid-19 do not constitute a prescribed disease or illness as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as it does not meet the criteria laid down in the Act. Section 87 (2) of the Act states that a disease or injury shall be prescribed for the purposes of this section in relation to any insured persons, where the Minister is satisfied that—
(a) it ought to be treated, having regard to its causes and any other relevant considerations, as a risk of their occupations and not as a risk common to all persons, and
(b) it is such that, in the absence of special circumstances, the attribution of particular cases to the nature of the employment can be established or presumed with reasonable certainty.
My Department is aware of the recommendations of the European Commission in this matter and is consulting with other relevant Government departments on the matter.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
