The HSE has confirmed it is to close the special scheme of paid leave for public service employees affected by Long Covid. The scheme will conclude on 31st December 2025, in line with the Labour Court recommendation earlier this year. The HSE has said no further extensions will be granted or permitted.
Trade unions representing healthcare workers, including Fórsa, have continued to press for the recognition of Long Covid as an occupational illness, and for the establishment of a dedicated occupational illness scheme for affected staff.
The issue returned to the Oireachtas this week, when Deputy Colm Burke (FG) raised concerns in the Dáil about 159 HSE staff suffering from Long Covid, and who are to lose access to the scheme at the end of this month.
Deputy Burke argued that these frontline workers, who contracted Covid while caring for patients in high-risk settings, deserve continued State support, noting international moves to recognise Covid-19 as an occupational illness, and supporting ICTU’s position.
He added: “They had to work through very difficult times providing healthcare to a large percentage of the population when everyone else was required to stay at home, including from schools, which were closed at this time. Yet they still went out to work, took the risks and provided the care.
“Now they find the State saying, ‘Sorry, not our problem. We have given as much support as we can but we are not prepared to continue with that support after 31 December.’
“A mechanism should be put in place for this exceptional circumstance. We always need to change the law. We always need to make sure we can adequately provide for those who have given their all to the system, especially the health system. I ask for the change to be made and for them to be given the necessary support,” he said.
In her response, Minister of State Jennifer Murnane O’Connor agreed to raise Burke’s concerns with the Minister and acknowledged the exceptional service of healthcare workers. While confirming the end of the current scheme on 31st December, she stressed that staff will “transition seamlessly” into the public service sick leave scheme, “ensuring continuity of care and financial protection.”
She added: “Under that scheme, staff will receive full pay for three months, followed by half pay for three months. They will then have the option to apply for temporary rehabilitative remuneration, which can provide up to a further 547 days of paid leave. In addition, the critical illness protocol may provide supports for up to three years.
“Beyond financial supports, staff will also be entitled to reasonable accommodations to assist them in returning to work. This may include modified duties or adjusted work patterns while they are rehabilitating,” she said.
‘Disappointing’
The head of Fórsa’s Health and Welfare division, Ashley Connolly, expressed disappointment that the scheme is to close despite the small but significant number of health workers still affected: “The continuing impact of Long Covid on these workers can’t be overlooked. The pandemic is a memory for most of us, but it continues to be a daily lived reality for these workers, which is why we’ve sought recognition of Long Covid as an occupational illness," she said.
National secretary Linda Kelly added: “While access to the public service sick leave scheme will provide some relief in the short term, the prospect for many is that a full return to work remains uncertain.”
“They still have bills and mortgages to pay. They put themselves at enormous risk to help others, but the State appears happy to turn away while a small number still need support,” she said.
Court ruling
Earlier this year, the Labour Court issued its recommendation (LCR23154), following an extensive process of engagement at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Joint Implementation Group of the Public Service Agreement. The unions sought an occupational illness scheme, comparable to existing long-term absence arrangements in the health service to support workers who remain unable to work due to Long Covid contracted at work.
However, the Court made clear that it is not within its remit to designate Covid-19 or Long Covid as occupational illnesses. Its recommendation states: “Covid-19 and Long Covid are not considered occupational illnesses or an injury at work in this jurisdiction. It is not within the gift of the Labour Court to determine otherwise.” On this basis, the Court recommended a final extension of the current temporary paid leave scheme to 31st December 2025, after which remaining workers would transition to the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme.
Following the Court’s conclusion, unions intensified political engagement, highlighting that 159 health workers remain on the temporary scheme, which means they are medically certified as unfit to return to work.
A second cohort of workers, also confirmed as suffering Long Covid, were excluded from the scheme based on narrow eligibility criteria. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health subsequently agreed to write to the Minister for Health seeking an extension beyond December 2025, while also requesting a joint meeting with the Social Protection Committee.
Despite these interventions, the HSE has now issued formal notice (20th November) confirming the scheme will conclude on 31st December 2025, in line with Government direction.
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