Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for appearing before the committee. I also thank them for the expertise and commitment that they have shown to this country over the past 14 months. Their guidance and advice has undoubtedly saved lives. The vaccine roll-out, walk-in tests and the PCR tests have been really well done so I compliment the team.

It is important that we take the advice of experts, especially experts who have responsibility here at home. It is important that we also represent constituents in protecting their health but also to protect their livelihoods. What we are trying to do here is take the expert advice and see how that can be applied so that we can have that successful outcome for the public.

In every piece of tested equipment or process there are always cheap varieties, which may not be accurate or reliable, and one can go to much more expensive highly reliable and accurate pieces of equipment and test processes. Are the witnesses concerned that with a rapid or large scale roll-out of antigen testing that we would find it difficult to maintain standards, procedures, and the management and compliance monitoring of that kind of testing?