Search

06 Sept 2025

Antigen testing must be made free and accessible to support overwhelmed PCR testing system, says Longford/Westmeath TD

Antigen testing must be made free and accessible to support overwhelmed PCR testing system, says Longford/Westmeath TD

Longford Westmeath Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke

Reporter:

Newsroom

30 Dec 2021 6:00 PM

Email:

newsroom@longfordleader.ie

Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke has called on government to make antigen testing widely and freely available to ease the pressure on the PCR testing system, which is currently overwhelmed due to the rampant Covid-19 transmission rates across the state.
Teachta Clarke has also called for Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to set out a strategy to manage what has become a rapidly deteriorating situation.
Teachta Clarke said: “The Omicron variant is now rampant in communities right across the state. The surge in case numbers is placing unprecedented pressure on the PCR testing system.
“Current HSE capacity is 300,000 tests a week. That is 6% of the population being tested every week. But we are approaching, or are at, full capacity, and the system is struggling to cope with the unprecedented demands being placed upon it.
“It is therefore clear that we must now place a far greater emphasis on antigen testing. One third of positive cases through a PCR followed a positive antigen test. That is all the more reason to see greater use of antigen testing, and for it to be made freely available.
“We need to utilise all tools available to us to suppress the spread of Covid-19, so it therefore beggars belief that the government continues to dither when it comes to a public rollout of antigen testing.
"Minister Donnelly needs to act now and set out a strategy to manage what is a rapidly deteriorating situation. The first part of that strategy should be to make antigen testing widely accessible and free, as it is in the north and as we have consistently been calling for.
“Antigen testing must also be given a more formal and prominent place in the overall testing system, as proposed by the Ferguson Report on the use of antigen testing. These testing and suppression measures must be backed up with clear and unequivocal public health advice on isolating.
“Minister Donnelly must urgently outline what governments strategy over the next number of weeks will be.”

To continue reading this article,
please subscribe and support local journalism!

Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles.

Subscribe

To continue reading this article for FREE,
please kindly register and/or log in.

Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news!

Register / Login

Most Popular

Sponsored Content

Multimedia

We've got Donegal Covered...

Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie

Buy a paper

Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.

Buy Now
Get the news

Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.

Register Here
Iconic Media is Ireland's largest independently owned regional newspaper and media group, with an unrivalled audience in print, online and mobile. We have 19 regional newspapers and 21 digital sites.

Iconic Digital Titles

  • Carlow Live
  • Clare Live
  • Derry Now
  • Donegal Live
  • Éire Bheo
  • Inish Live
  • Ireland Live
  • Kildare Live
  • Kildare Now
  • Kilkenny Live
  • Laois Live
  • Leitrim Live
  • Letterkenny Live
  • Limerick Live
  • Longford Live
  • Louth Live
  • Mayo Live
  • Nenagh Live
  • Offaly Live
  • Tipperary Live
  • Waterford Live

    • Iconic Print Titles

  • Clonmel Nationalist
  • County Derry Post
  • Derry News
  • Donegal Democrat
  • Donegal Post
  • Dundalk Democrat
  • Homes in Donegal
  • Inish Times
  • Kilkenny People
  • Leinster Express
  • Leinster Leader
  • Leitrim Observer
  • Letterkenny Live
  • Limerick Leader
  • Longford Leader
  • Mayo News
  • Midland Tribune
  • Tipperary Star
  • Tullamore Tribune

    • This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.

    © 2025 Iconic Media