Laois TD Charlie Flanagan has called on the Minister for Health to provide free antigen tests to ‘hard pressed families’.
The Fine Gael TD has written to Stephen Donnelly and expressed his concern that some families cannot afford to buy the kits.
The HSE is already sending out antigen tests to close contacts but the Government is not planning on providing them to the general public.
Deputy Flanagan said: “With Covid regulations being relaxed, antigen tests are playing a crucial part in society’s recovery.
“The current cost of antigen tests is too high.
“The state should make antigen tests freely available to hard pressed families and I have written to the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly calling for antigen test kits to be available free of charge.”
Deputy Flanagan says he has also contacted Minister for Education Norma Foley with a similar request.
He said: “I have also been in touch with Minister for Education, Norma Foley, requesting that supplies of antigen tests be made available to primary and secondary schools in order to assist in the fight against Covid 19.
“Some hard-pressed families are unable to afford the daily supply of antigen tests, which for many is necessary in the context of a return of normal day to day life.”
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