A Government TD said antigen tests should be subsided or free while the PCR testing system remains under pressure.

Dublin Central Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan was a speaking in response to the earlier announcement from the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly that antigen tests will not be subsided as had been planned.

Mr Donnelly said the Government was no longer planning to subsidise antigen tests for the public as they are now widely available for around €3-4 in supermarkets and for €1.50 in some shops, so the need to “spend taxpayer money to subsidise them” has disappeared.

Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan – who is also her party’s Finance and Health Spokesperson - said she was not aware the Government was planning to scrap plans to subside the tests until Minister Donnelly announced it.

“I have to say, I think while PCR test are under huge pressure and it’s difficult to get them there might be an argument for making antigen test more affordable or perhaps free,” she told RTÉ’s Drivetime programme.

Ms Hourigan said it should only be a short-term measure, however, and argued that antigen test suppliers have made huge profits in the UK because the rapid tests are free there.

She said the Irish Government needs to protect public finances but antigen tests do have a role to play in tackling the virus.

“I think there’s better use for out finite tax resources than providing endless free antigen testing for anybody who walks into a pharmacy. I think as a short-term yes, but as a long-term measure as long as they’re affordable I think that’s reasonable,” she added.

Speaking on the same programme, Social Democrat co-leader Roisin Shortall described the “U-turn” on antigen test subsidies by Government as a “dereliction of duty”.

“The Government has now washed its hands of any responsibility in the provision of antigen tests. Its latest stance means that it has no role in their pricing, availability, accessibility or quality control. This is a serious dereliction of duty as the government contemplates further restrictions to control the spread of covid in the community,” she said.

“There is a strong argument to make antigen tests free, particularly for low-income and fixed-income households, while we try to suppress this latest wave of Covid. Instead, the government has opted to deny these families even a paltry subsidy of these tests,” she added.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin spokesperson on health David Cullinane has accused the Government of “penny pinching” and said antigen tests must be provided as an essential public health intervention with access guaranteed by the state.

In a statement released today, Mr Cullinane said the Government must also provide the funds the install HEPA filters in school classrooms across the country.

“The Government is penny pinching while we are reaching the height of this wave of the pandemic. We have seen the same on HEPA filters for schools. This is ensuring that schools and workplaces will continue to be riskier environments than they should be," he added.