It has been a year since this House unanimously supported a motion to extend special support for all front-line workers suffering from long Covid, yet today that commitment remains unfulfilled. While the Department of Health and the HSE have agreed to extend special payments for a period in excess of 28 months to 143 healthcare staff afflicted with long Covid symptoms, we must question the exclusion of those infected over the past 730 days, that is, since 15 November 2021. These dedicated individuals who contracted long Covid as a direct result of their heroic efforts during the pandemic are unjustly being denied the support they rightfully deserve. The time for partial measures is over. It is imperative that we make a decisive move to treat all front-line warriors equally and acknowledge long Covid as an occupational illness, regardless of what job these workers were doing or when they were infected. The Government must act. When will justice be served for every front-line worker, without exception?

I thank the Deputy. As he has acknowledged, the special leave with pay was extended in the case of many front-line workers in the healthcare area. As with any special scheme, there will always be terms and eligibility criteria. The Departments of Health and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform have been engaging on this issue in the context of long Covid. I will ask the Minister for Health to revert to Deputy Naughten with a more detailed answer.

The other workers are important too.