Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021
793. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide further details in relation to the pilot programme on antigen testing his Department is conducting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41447/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s intention is to strengthen the prevention and intervention measures around COVID-19 in response to the changing context including surveillance, track and trace, and potential use of new technology. My Department recognises the potential role of rapid antigen testing as one part of a package of surveillance and vigilance measures that could also include self-monitoring and other public health non-pharmaceutical interventions.
Following the establishment by the Minister for Health of an Expert Advisory Group on Rapid Testing, my Department wrote to the Group outlining steps already taken to pilot rapid testing initiatives in the further and higher education sector. My Department has requested the Group’s early advice in determining the appropriate role for rapid testing and parameters around its usage in higher and further education settings
Among the steps already taken is the provision of support for an SFI-backed Study to test this objective. A new research project ‘Multi-site study to develop a SARS-CoV-2 Infection Surveillance System for Third Level Students and Staff in the Republic of Ireland’, known as UniCoV, began on June 14 across four universities and will be expanded to other sites in the near future. It is expected that the study, comprising approximately 8000 staff and students, will provide valuable learning on the potential role rapid antigen testing can take in this sector.
My Department has also joined a HSE-led Pilot Project Working Group to pilot approaches for the operation of rapid testing in education settings. The purpose of these pilots is to examine the acceptability of the tests for individuals and the sites – i.e. can the site manage the process, do staff and students sign up and do they stick with it, do the tests pick up any positive cases and what, if any, are the unintended consequences. Secondary to this feasibility aspect is, following the pilots, determining whether the model is scalable and if so, what changes would need to be made to the process and what additional resources would be required.
These pilots have commenced and five further and higher education sites are participating in the study. My Department is supportive of HSE proposals to expand these pilot studies to further locations in the coming period. Institutions not currently involved have expressed their interest and there may be scope for clusters of institutions to participate within the same region. A site selection process is under way and will conclude shortly.
