Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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606. To ask the Minister for Health the level of subsidy on antigen tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57119/21]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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635. To ask the Minister for Health if provision has been built into the plan for rapid antigen testing to provide for persons who hold a medical card or a long-term illness card who are deemed medically vulnerable and or who are experiencing financial hardship. [57359/21]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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636. To ask the Minister for Health when the plan to subsidise rapid antigen testing will be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57360/21]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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644. To ask the Minister for Health when antigen test subsidies will be introduced; the level of subsidy that will be in place; when there will be a public information campaign on antigen testing and on its application; if there will be a roll-out of a central system to record results; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57377/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 606, 635, 636 and 644 together.

The role of testing and contact tracing, as part of the wider public health response, has been under ongoing review throughout the pandemic and will continue to be reviewed and amended in line with the epidemiological profile of the disease, its impact on healthcare utilisation and outcomes, the vaccination status of the population and ECDC guidance. This includes reviewing the role, availability and usage of antigen testing on an ongoing basis. The HSE already has information relating to antigen testing published on its website and a central system for recording of results from antigen testing as part of the programmes already underway.

Antigen testing is already being used widely across the State, supported by the health service, including for testing of asymptomatic, vaccinated close contacts of a confirmed case, and in pilot programmes involving staff in early childcare facilities, staff and students in further and higher education, staff in food production facilities and in residential Care Facilities (RCFs) for Older Persons. In addition, the HSE is in the process of rolling out a programme to provide antigen tests to parents of children in a pod in primary school where another child in the pod has had a positive PCR test. Antigen tests will be offered to a full class when two or more confirmed cases arise outside of a single pod in a class within a seven-day period.

It should be noted that it is important that anyone who has any respiratory symptoms should self-isolate at home and get a Covid-19 PCR test when indicated.