Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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497. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to introduce regular Covid-19 testing for teachers and students in all schools across the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11978/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community or in a school is the responsibility of, and will be led and managed by, Public Health HSE. In all instances where COVID-19 is positively confirmed in a school age child in community testing Public Health are immediately notified and a Public Health Risk Assessment is initiated with the school by local HSE public health Schools Teams.

The current position of the HSE is that serial antigen testing is not recommended as a public health measure to keep schools safe. The World Health Organisation does not currently recommend the use of antigen testing in schools. The HSE will continue to use the more accurate PCR tests for testing all index cases and close contacts within the school community and will prioritise the mass swift queue PCR testing which has proven highly effective to date.

This position is being kept under review by the HSE and an expert group is in place examining the use of antigen testing in schools and in other workplaces.