Testing capacity and PCR access
Members rejected the business and pressed for urgent statements on COVID testing, citing PCR shortages and delays across the country. The Taoiseach defended the HSE’s efforts and said testing numbers were high, while the Minister for Health said he would address it during the debate.
As agreed for the duration of the Covid-19 emergency, the rapporteur's report of the Order of Business shall be taken as read. Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to?
Comment on this
They are not agreed. There are serious questions now arising right across the State in regard to testing capacity. People could not book a PCR test yesterday in Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford, and we are getting similar reports from across the country. Meanwhile, the Government is dithering still on antigen testing. We need to make time for the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, to come before the House to make a statement on this matter and to take questions. There is, as was said earlier, huge concern right across society at the growing rates of infection and the prospect of further restrictions. We are only weeks away from Christmas and people's inability to access testing is really, as they might say, putting the tin hat on things for people. We need an explanation for the lack of planning and lack of capacity, and that needs to come from the Minister for Health.
Comment on this
We need to urgently address the issue of testing and we need the Minister in here to discuss it. People cannot get a PCR test for love nor money in Dublin. People are hours and hours on the website, if they can get an appointment at all. People are talking about antigen tests being free, and they should be, but we need PCR testing and we need walk-in PCR testing to be available.
The longer somebody is walking around while infectious or potentially infectious, the more the disease will spread. People have to be able to access PCR tests as soon as possible. They are suffering inordinate delays and we need a serious discussion on how we will provide walk-in PCR testing.