Fórsa welcomed the announcement last week by the Department of Health that the special scheme of paid leave, for employees suffering from long-COVID, has been temporarily extended for three months.

Responding to the announcement, Fórsa’s national secretary for Health and Welfare, Ashley Connolly, said the extension would provide space for conciliation talks, which took place at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) last Wednesday (17th April).

Ashley commented: “Long-COVID continues to be a serious health problem for hundreds of healthcare staff. It is a condition without precedent and creates a challenge both for those workers affected and the health services more generally.

“It is essential that we can develop an agreed and permanent solution for those affected. The temporary extension announced today provides a bit of much needed breathing space for conciliation and will provide some peace of mind for affected workers following months of uncertainty and worry,” she said

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Following the WRC engagement last week, Ashley said: “We remain in process with a further hearing scheduled for May. We know how much this matters to our members, and we will keep pushing for a fair outcome.”

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