Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I have two points on that. First, the key recourse for those workers is the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, which was designed for exactly these circumstances when businesses are not able to operate as normal. Businesses are able to make sure that they can continue to pay the workers through that scheme. On the Deputy's

earlier point about antigen testing and the Oireachtas, we all know that that proposal came from the Houses of the Oireachtas Service. My understanding is that the Whips will be communication, I presume through the Business Committee, about how we cover the cost so that we are not treated in any way differently from any other section of our society. That would be appropriate so that we do not develop a "them and us" narrative. As I am sure every Member recognises, that is not where we want to be placed or the position we want to put ourselves into. The last thing I would say on that is I believe we do need to use antigen testing on a regular screening-type basis, to look for that unknown positive on someone who is not symptomatic. I have seen it work overseas. I think we need to develop it here. It has been held back because of health advice, but I believe we are coming to a resolution of that. It will start with our schools, as we discussed earlier this week in terms of an announcement on that.. We should use it in workplace settings - all using the same system.

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