The government decision to end a payment for healthcare workers with debilitating Long Covid is an abandonment of staff who gave their all during the height of the pandemic, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide, who previously worked as a clinical psychologist with Long Covid services.
Deputy Quaide said:
“159 healthcare workers with Long Covid have been in receipt of their basic salary over the past 4-5 years – this is in recognition of the fact that they contracted the virus at the peak of the pandemic in high-risk settings such as hospital wards, often without adequate PPE, when much of the rest of the workforce was protected by work from home directives.
“They’ve paid an enormous price in the form of persistent symptoms, such as debilitating post-exertional malaise – this level of physical depletion can mean being unable to lift a cup of tea after what most people would consider mild exertion, or having to return to bed after dropping a child to school.
“Long Covid can have a major impact on a person’s capacity to work or carry out basic tasks – nerve pain, vertigo, and brain-fog are all common symptoms. Treatments for Long Covid are extremely limited and for some, their symptoms have not improved.
“Despite the sacrifices these healthcare workers made on all of our behalf they now also face the loss of financial security at the end of June as the government is ending their pay arrangement.
“Being on a cliff-edge regarding their financial security each year as this pay arrangement was due to end has been a source of huge additional stress for those affected.
“The government keeps emphasising that they extended the pay arrangement several times, as if the healthcare workers should be grateful, instead of acknowledging that these workers sustained a serious workplace injury and should be compensated.
“Many were infected in early January 2021 following the so-called ‘meaningful Christmas’, during which restrictions on movement were crudely lifted by the government against public health expert advice.
“The government needs to provide these healthcare workers with ongoing financial security instead of adding intolerable stress to the many challenges they face.”
June 20th, 2025