The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has welcomed a commitment by the Taoiseach to re-examine the issue of payments to frontline healthcare staff who are currently unable to return to work as a result of long Covid.
Responding to a question from Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide on Monday, Micheál Martin said he accepted the staff in question had contracted the condition while working, mostly in hospital settings, with many of them contracting it in the early weeks of the pandemic.
He said he would speak again with the ministers responsible for the issue and payments. The departments involved in previous discussions have included Health, Social Protection and Public Expenditure.
More than 120 healthcare staff who contracted the condition – the majority of whom were nurses – were on special leave with pay until December 31st, 2025, meaning they continued to receive their salary and allowances.
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Since then, they have been on the health service’s standard sick-pay scheme, which provides for 92 days of full pay and then 91 days on half-pay. They would then be required to apply for other, discretionary payments or fall back on payments from the Department of Social Protection.
A group of the workers affected recently told The Irish Times they face significant financial difficulties if their income is cut.
Martin said there were “complexities around consequentials” but added: “I get that the issue is the capacity of people with long Covid to participate in the workforce and the fact that it was, without question in my view, contracted on the hospital site. I do not dispute that.
[ Healthcare workers with long Covid feel ‘abandoned’ as special payment endsOpens in new window ]
“There can be a general argument as to where one contracts Covid, given the prevalence of Covid in society more generally. In the early part of Covid, there was no question that many healthcare professionals contracted it onsite in the hospitals. While one can never be totally definitive on that, it is a fairly plausible scenario that many did, particularly in the earlier phase when we had lockdowns and so on. I will revisit this.”
Responding to the commitment to meet again with some of those affected, INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said the union “very much welcomes the comments by the Taoiseach regarding finding some solution for healthcare workers with long Covid”. She added: ”We hope to be able to discuss the possibility of a permanent scheme for these workers, the majority of whom are women, with the Taoiseach and other relevant Government departments as soon as possible.”
Quaide, meanwhile, said it was significant the Taoiseach acknowledged the workers had contracted Covid in the workplace. “This is consistent with the rationale for special Covid leave with pay in the first instance," he said.
“I very much welcome his commitment to meet with a cohort of these workers again and will revisit the issue with Ministers [Jennifer] Carroll MacNeill and [Dara] Calleary."
