Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
620. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration would be given to classifying long-Covid as an occupational illness, in line with other European countries such as France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Denmark, which have formally recognised long-Covid as an occupational disease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39752/23]
View answerChapter 13 of Part 2 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 legislates for the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme for persons injured by an accident at work or caused by a prescribed disease due to the nature of their employment.
Covid-19 is not currently a prescribed disease or illness for the purposes of the Occupation Injuries Benefit scheme. 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 recommendation of the European Commission made in 2022 regarding the prescription of Covid-19 as an occupational illness. It should be noted that the European Commission has not made a recommendation about recognising long-COVID as an occupational disease and most member states have not recognised long-COVID.
The decision on whether or not to recognise an illness as an occupational illness is a Member State competence. I have consulted with other relevant departments and Ministers on the matter of recognition of COVID-19, and the responses received are currently under consideration. I intend having further discussions with my colleagues before a decision will be made.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
