Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly says the advice he has is that antigen tests ‘shouldn’t be free’. He says there were no controls over how free tests were being used in the UK, adding ‘they’re very very expensive’. | Read more: https://t.co/i7mkkrsIMX pic.twitter.com/0QwQnh7S5S
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 17, 2021
This morning.
Meanwhile…
New: The HSE has been keeping at least 1.5 million antigen tests in storage.
They’ve only dispatched 35,000 so far (2%).https://t.co/ivmoEAGjEr
— Rachel Lavin (@RachelLavin) November 17, 2021
I asked the Taoiseach why the HSE has been keeping at least 1.5 million antigen tests in storage and has only dispatched 35,000 (2%) to date. The Government decision not to distribute them for free is inexplicable.
Figures c/o @RachelLavin @businessposthqhttps://t.co/5HjDGWRbOP pic.twitter.com/PKmUa3vdLt— Michael McNamara TD (@MlMcNamaraTD) November 17, 2021
This afternoon.
Anyone?
No testing whatsoever, extricate yourself from the narrative. Stop playing along. Asymptomatic transmission etc is nonsense.
Exactly, if we accept this then we will be getting tested every week for the rest of our lives until there’s an all out war.
Typhoid Mary was adamant of the same thing.
over governed by under achievers
Antigen tests retail at about €2 a test in most of Europe. We spent €10 billion on the PUP alone, nevermind the tens of billions on the rest of the pandemic costs. How is it _now_ time to start penny pinching? Particularly on something so cheap.
Its mind boggling how the government still seems so anti antigen tests, at complete odds to the rest of the developed world.
They are very, very expensive – each antigen test costs €8, that’s 4% of the cost of one PCR test.
Alternatively, you get 25 antigen tests for the cost of one PCR test. How many PCR tests have been done in this country since the start of this B-horror movie?
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/covid-19-tests-cost-the-state-200-each-says-taoiseach-1.4264130
Yes I think they cost €7 in most pharmacies in Berlin. Some companies hand them out free to staff who have to work in the office.
That €200 each was back in May 2020; Are they still that expensive?
The journal.ie has something from September 2021 – https://www.thejournal.ie/covid-19-spending-testing-vaccine-costs-hse-5549853-Sep2021/
“That means the recorded cost of operating test centres is already higher in 2021 than it was last year, but the cost in laboratories has not seen a similar increase.”
Knowing this government, that €200 per PCR test contract probably has a perpetual clause.
Numbers of tests performed are published daily.
There were 2.4million tests performed in 2020 (@€264m) is €110 per test. Another 3.7 million in 2021 up to 31 July (@€217m) is €59 per test.
Now these are broken down by “lab test” and “hospital test”, it is possible the hospital tests aren’t included in this amount. If it is only “lab tests” the numbers change to:
2020 1.6million (@€264m) is €165 per test.
2021 2.3 million (@€217m) is €94 per test. (up to 31 July)
https://covid19ireland-geohive.hub.arcgis.com/pages/hospitals-icu–testing
Yes, PCR tests are a *lot* more expensive than antigen test.
Cant have the country easily knowing if they have covid…FFS
I really cannot understand their continuous resistance to antigen testing when they’ve been used in most other countries for months now and have allowed their hospitality sectors to reopen safely.
There is no logical reason I can think of for it. They are far superior to any vaccination cert system for a number of reasons so why are our government so resistant them?
Anyone??
Is there not some NPHET PCR lab connection?
“they’re very very expensive” – OK, right, how expensive exactly. Why can’t you say how much they are, I assume you have a ballpark figure considering you are the Min for Heath and you are quoting a UK report on same. And don’t talk to us about wasting money on antigen tests that you could spend on nurses wages when you peed away tens of millions of taxpayers on PPE and ventilators either to some buddy importer or some unknown Chinese entity. And now we are hearing the state has 1.5 million antigen tests in storage that they are just sitting on. And lastly, where did you get the advice that antigen tests “shouldn’t be free” and what is the reasons behind that advice ya big waffler eejit.
whenever I sit here and have to yet again listen to a spoofer like Donnelly (nevermind heed him lol) I wonder why Direct Democracy couldn’t work in a small country like Ireland? (a la Switzerland)
why not?
There’s 5 million people in Ireland. If they give them out free they’ll be gone in a week.
And everyone would know how infectious they are- sure we couldn’t be having that now.
They give a correct positive reading 72percent of the time. They have no scale indicating level of infectiousness.
Absolutely 100% wrong- they are the most effective test available to determine how infectious someone is.
Unlike PCR which cannot differentiate between an live infection and something from 3 months ago.
Testicle
One thing is for sure, any antigen tests bought by tds will be claimed as expenses.
NPHET were against these tests being used because they are only meant to be used by people who do not feel sick and want a reassurance that they are not positive. However, People using them as a guide when they are actually already symptomatic is defeating the purpose of antigen testing.
Michael are ye getting free ones if so ye have brass necks and to hell with they people ye serve .Who have pay for everything the ordinary joe soap .Stop this in its tracks free antigen tests for all or none