Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A NEW REPORT for Government on the use of rapid antigen tests has concluded that they may play an “important part” of future Covid-19 testing programmes.
The Interim Report of the Expert Advisory Group on Rapid Testing says that although the tests do not identify all cases of Covid-19, there is significant evidence that rapid tests “are more likely to identify current infection in asymptomatic individuals”.
The report also concludes that the tests are cheap and can be deployed at scale.
While the cost of the rapid tests is cited as a positive, minutes of one of the last meetings held by the group in August notes that “tests are beginning to become harder to
purchase”.
The expert group said this would be communicated to governmental officials, but said the cost/finance and the availability/accessibility of rapid tests is outside the terms of reference of the group.
It noted that it is an important issue to highlight to government departments for consideration.
However, it is understood that unit costs are a matter for the HSE to negotiate, and are not being flagged as a risk to supply.
Ireland is understood to have two million tests in the country with an ability to buy around 500,000 more per week.&
Rapid antigen tests are already being used or piloted, as part of outbreak response in the community, acute hospitals, meat processing plants, residential care facilities, childcare facilities and higher educational settings in addition to their use in some private sectors.
The group says that it has engaged with representatives from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment around their priorities for the use of antigen testing in different activities and settings.
These include the use of antigen testing at business conferences, dining and outdoor concerts. The group said that once a risk assessment framework is developed, advice will be provided to each department about the appropriate use of antigen testing for these activities.
The report said there are concerns about the public’s “misconceptions” around antigen testing, stating that public awareness will be key in any subsequent roll out.
A negative rapid result should not be used as a “green light” for an individual to ignore or bypass current public health advice, the report stated.
The public understanding “presents a clear set of communications challenges”, it added.
This is the fourth report produced here during the pandemic on antigen tests, with the full report due to be published shortly.
It was announced this week that antigen tests would be used by fully vaccinated people who are deemed to be close contacts of a confirmed Covid-19 case, but who have no symptoms.
The HSE said it will be rolling out antigen testing for close contacts “from the end of next week”.
Niamh O’Beirne, head of testing and tracing in the HSE, said the newly launched online portal will allow members of the public to report their results.
During this today’s press briefing, O’Beirne explained that vaccinated close contacts who don’t have symptoms will be sent five antigen tests and asked to use three of them every second day.
Should they test positive they will be asked to self-isolate and seek a PCR test via the HSE. For those who get a negative result, they will be asked to record their test via the online portal.
For unvaccinated or symptomatic close contacts, they will be asked to get a PCR test instead.
She added that full guidance and details around the kits will be on the HSE website in the coming days.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that antigen tests will have an “enhanced role” and that tests will be sent to symptomless fully vaccinated close contacts of confirmed cases.
“A more wider use of antigen tests is certainly on the cards,” the Taoiseach said in response to a question from The Journal.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The Dept of education doesn’t have the imagination, ambition nor incentive to change. The issues are perennially ignored for as long as I can remember.
@Jules: you’d have to reform the slow moving government first
@Gerard Heery: while that’s definitely necessary just doing so for the Dept would lead to the desired though narrow results
The education system in Ireland is in fact something that works. Look at PISA. We never seem to want to copy what the more successful countries on PISA – the Asian countries – who are exam orientated. Instead as usual we want to copy the left ideology of the increasingly failed state that is the US.
I have no idea what “embed diversity” means although it might be curtains for teaching Irish poetry and history.
As for critical thinking, the only way to critically think about science or medicine is up learn the science. To know the facts. Often to have a degree Teaching people to “critically think” without facts leads to anti vaxxers and conspiracists.
And ending exams will only entrench privilege.
@john smith iv: our education is good considering the chronic underinvestment but there are still a myriad of obvious ways in which to improve.
PISA is not the only measure of success and Asian educational models should be avoided at all cost.
We aren’t trying to copy the USA in terms of education system but we must always be open to good ideas regardless of where they come from.
Education doesn’t lead to anti-vaxxers or conspiracy theorists, that would be the lack of it.
Agree re exams but they should be the be all and end all either. A balance can be achieved while still being meritocratic.
Gonna leave your “failed state” nonsense alone.
@Graham Manning: I said ideas of “critical thinking” leads to conspiracy theories. The only people who can really discuss climate change and vaccination etc would be educated in science and statistics. Yet, this piece didn’t really mention science or STEM but “philosophical studies” which at best are woolly and at worst are just another form of indoctrination, depending on the philosophy.
It does reference the US public school system though, which may be secular but isn’t very good. A certain kind of Irish person can only see the world through a American lens.
Many teachers I have spoken to feel the combine accreditation and exam process is the fairer solution. Some kids just don’t do well at exam time. The biggest problem would be how to get ‘fair’ accreditation….we can see the problems caused this year and the impact on CAO points.
@CarlAnne Greene: removing the bell curve would be a start.
@Graham Manning: totally agree
There has never been a better time for Educational reform. The general consensus is that the Leaving Cert is outdated and not fit for purpose and the CAO system is broken.
There’s no fairness in a system where a student can achieve a perfect Leaving Cert and subsequently fails to be offered their first choice course because of random selection.
Sick to death of these highly politicised ideologically driven articles on the journal. Not a news site but a propaganda site. Time to delete the app.
@Ken Hickey: this isn’t the airport mate, you don’t need to announce your departure.
@Ken Hickey: But not wrong perhaps….not just the journal though many media outlets just lazy and trot out the propaganda they are fed imo
While I broadly agree it’s the amount of “broadness” and vague statements that’s the issue with this. Specifics and how to achieve them rather than generalities would be far more helpful.
I’d also cite the paucity of AEN supports as an enormous issue.
All comes down to cash and we invest the least percentage of GDP in EU on Education. The biggest improvement we could make??? Bring that up to at least the average or, shock horror, strive for more than just average.
This seems quite populist, a bit like talking about the cost of uniforms in late August…the education system is constantly reforming…the COVID system for me for LC was not a good one…assessment by the student’s own teachers was not a success: would have been better to have schools anonymous sharing corrections or something: but that would have cost more perhaps.
@Spartacus Ireland: that’s essentially the usual system just less centrally organised.
Reciting in exams what you’ve retained doesn’t make you intelligent if you don’t understand it
@Paul: which specific exams does this happen in?
I dont think that anyone will argue that we have a bad education system but I absolutely believe there is lots of room for evolution and improvement. For example, why not reduce secondary school by 2 years and introduce 2 years of interim micro and macro courses that help guide students to their most suited route through college, university or otherwise? Its also a great way to gain valuable credentials in the meantime and lines up nicely with the world of Continuous Professional Development in business.
Perhaps the four goals of education need revisiting. 1. Education is for personal development 2.Education is for socialisation. 3 Education is to facilitate career choice. 4 Education is to provide workers for the Irish economy. Before you simplistically throw out the complex interaction that is Irish Education you should present your philosophy of the person?
Does anyone remember the sheer hell of changes to the Junior Cert? And the resistance that met every single proposed change?
@Jules:
Just look at what happened in 2020 and 2021 when enforced changes were required during the pandemic.
Lobbying on all sides, teachers seeking legal indemnity, resistance from unions and more..
The pressure brought on the department led to an inflation of grades in these years and I believe this has discredited the leaving cert entirely.
Educational standards should be comparable over time, even if the methods change. This clearly isnt deliverable in Ireland
have your say