18 hours ago
Extension of special sick pay scheme grants 'temporary relief' to nurses with long covid
Nurses affected by long covid have said they are grateful and relieved a special pay scheme has been extended for another six months with some now in their fifth year out of work.
The Labour Court has recommended a final extension to December. It had been controversially due to expire this week.
Fiona Walsh, a nurse living in Donnybrook, Cork, has been ill with long covid since January 2021.
She has seen little change with time, saying: 'it's been very disheartening'.
'We are very grateful for the six month extension. It's a welcome relief,' she said.
She and 158 other eligible staff had 'a very stressful day' on Thursday, waiting for the decision, she added.
'It's a temporary relief though, to be honest, as we all remain too unwell to return to work,' she said.
She supports a call from health unions for covid and long covid to be recognised as an occupational illness. This could lead to better supports.
Ms Walsh was one of a group of staff who met Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Friday.
'We presented to him the reality of living with long covid which we contracted while working on the frontline,' she said.
'He listened to what we presented him. He appreciates the work we did and is fully aware of the implications of long covid. He was very understanding and emphatic. We are so thankful he gave us his time.'
The Labour Court decision means after December 31 eligible staff can only transfer to the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme.
The Department of Health said Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill supports the decision, and will ensure the extension happens.
The ICTU Group of Healthcare Unions welcomed the decision and repeated its desire to see covid-19 and long covid recognized as occupational illness.
ICTU chairman Albert Murphy said this would place Ireland in line with other EU countries.
'Healthcare workers with long covid went to work when everyone else was told to stay at home during covid and are still suffering the consequences that come with a huge physical and mental cost,' he said.
Mr Murphy, also Irish Nurses and Midwives Director of Industrial Relations, called on the Government to take action.
Other unions in ICTU who support the move are Siptu, Forsa and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association.
Labour health spokeswoman Marie Sherlock said Ireland is one of only two EU countries which does not recognise covid in this way.
'I have had many health workers express to me their enormous stress and anxiety about how they will pay their bills, mortgages, and look after their families,' she said.
She added: 'It is appalling that high court costs are wracked up by a case that workers felt they needed to take and that time was spent by department officials fighting trade unions at the Labour court.'
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