My question is on the rapid antigen testing and it follows on from a similar question from Deputy McNamara earlier. This morning we saw the roll-out of two rapid antigen testing centres to cater for the needs of our hauliers. There is also mounting scientific evidence of the efficacy of such a test. I am not proposing that it would be a replacement for the PCR test but it certainly should be considered as a complementary tool. It is particularly useful for identifying the period or phase during which a person is infectious. In that context, it is especially suited for those working in congregated settings, for example. It is quick, cheap and painless and it has its place as a tool in our fight against this virus. Will the Tánaiste outline briefly the plans in place to deploy rapid antigen testing as part of our Covid response?

There is a greater role for antigen testing in our response to Covid. We do need to be very much guided by the advice of our scientists and our public health doctors in this regard. They have concerns about the accuracy of antigen testing. It has been introduced at Dublin Airport and in Gorey for hauliers going to France. It is a requirement of the French Government, which accepts antigen testing to enter France. We do not accept it to enter Ireland; we only accept the PCR test in that regard. It does seem that antigen testing can be useful in an outbreak and it can be useful in identifying Covid cases where the person is symptomatic. The more symptomatic one is the more infectious one is, so it is useful in that regard also. The current advice is that it is not useful in screening because it would miss a lot of positive cases. It has been used in parallel to PCR testing in Letterkenny and a few other places. I have been told by the chief clinical officer of the HSE that it had missed many cases that were picked up by PCR.

That concludes Questions on Promised Legislation.