Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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572. To ask the Minister for Health if he will make triple antigen tests that allow people to check if their illness is Covid-19, flu, or RSV available at reduced or zero cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6552/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the current COVID-19 Testing, Tracing and Surveillance advice which I accepted from the Chief Medical Officer, which was also been approved by the Government, the HSE is adopting a targeted approach for COVID-19 testing based on a clinical assessment where a clinician requires the result to contribute to the diagnosis and management of an individual patient.

Since 9 December 2022, GPs are providing swabbing for COVID-19 where the result is required to contribute to the diagnosis and management of an individual patient, such as for patients for whom treatment with Paxlovid is currently recommended. Based on the revised public health advice, community swabbing will no longer be a feature of our COVID-19 response as testing will no longer be recommended for the general population. Testing will also take place where deemed necessary by Public Health in relation to the management of an outbreak or specific public health risk. In this regard, I have no current plans in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy.

The approach to COVID-19 testing is facilitated by the high level of vaccine-induced and naturally acquired population immunity in Ireland. This is mitigating against the worst impacts of infection.

I have also provided additional resources to the HSE to ensure enhancements are put in place to existing infectious disease surveillance systems. This will ensure effective monitoring and signalling of what is happening with the virus at population level, and so that we can understand disease transmission and severity along with population immunity and risk.

The pandemic is not over, and COVID-19 is still a concern so testing remains an important part of our ongoing response to the disease for individuals vulnerable to its effects and for whom testing is indicated. For everybody, continuing to follow our public health advice available on hse.ie is still important. Anybody who has symptoms of COVID-19 should self-isolate until 48 hours after the symptoms are mostly or fully gone. Anybody who has concerns about an underlying condition or their level of risk in relation to COVID-19 is advised to seek advice from their GP or treating clinician.

My Department, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL), overseen by the Chief Medical Officer, continue to review the COVID-19 epidemiological situation in Ireland and internationally. This includes the on-going close monitoring of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and assessment of any potential threat to population health.

I currently have no plans in relation to the proposal raised by the Deputy.