Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to talk about antigen testing. This is an issue I have raised on many occasions in the House. I welcome the extension of antigen testing to schools, but I feel it is not going far enough. In the UK an individual can order seven antigen tests and QR codes for a household and report the results of the tests. We are just not going far enough. I realise there is a great cost involved. The cost is not as much as that associated with PCR testing, but if we invest in antigen testing we will be able to keep our economy open and we will not need lockdowns of the kind we had before. Ultimately, people need to take personal responsibility. Many people are doing that. In this building, for instance, we are not allowed to bring in stakeholders or to have meetings on the premises. If we had access to antigen testing, we could be facilitated in going ahead with our business. We have to continue governing, scrutinising and legislating. Antigen testing in this climate would play a huge role. I urge the Cathaoirleach to raise this with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission so we will not have to go back to the conference centre. Ultimately, this would save money for the Exchequer as there would be no rental cost. Antigen tests have a huge role to play. We are not doing enough. I encourage the Government to roll out antigen testing on a much more widespread basis.

It is World Prematurity Day today. I thank all the nurses and doctors working in neonatal intensive care units and special care baby units around the country. It is amazing that babies weighing as little as 500 g now survive and have a great chance, thanks to science, awareness and the contributions that many medics and scientists have made. I congratulate the parents of premature babies. The babies are hard to mind and have to be fed, watered and cleaned every two hours. It is a huge task for parents.