The leader of the Aontu party, Peadar Toibin, is calling on the Government to “actually make a decision” on the “stalemate” within the National Public Health Emergency Team regarding rapid antigen testing.
A rapid antigen test can be used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
An antigen testing kit tests a nasal swab and can return the results within hours, without needing to be sent away for laboratory testing.
There has been controversy surrounding at-home antigen tests as they can be less accurate and provide false negative results in some cases.
So far, NPHET has advised against the use of antigen testing kits but the Government has not made any decision on whether to give the results given by rapid antigen testing official recognition or not.
Mr Toibin said the situation is “absolutely scandalous” and that the Government has “abdicated their responsibility to govern.”
“Hundreds of thousands of people are still unemployed, thousands of businesses are still closed. Bars, restaurants, tourism and aviation are being hammered due to the lack of a government decision on this key issue.”
Chief Medical Officer Doctor Tony Holohan warned against the use of antigen testing and argued that it would “give people a green light to engage in risky behaviour.”
Mr Toibin said the CMO’s comment was both “bizarre” and “unspecific.”
“Originally NPHET representatives were taking to twitter to discredit antigen testing as akin to 'snake oil'. Now it seems they're conceding that antigen testing has grounding in science, but the 'message it sends' is the problem.”
According to the Aontu leader, one case study from Slovakia concluded that the incidence of Covid-19 fell by nearly 60% when rapid antigen testing was rolled out. While at home, NPHET “keeps questioning the accuracy of (antigen) testing.”
He added that “opposition to antigen testing is making an international embarrassment out of us.”
Mr Toibin questioned the Government, saying that “NPHET are also talking about 'false positives' quite a lot - but what possible risk can false positives pose?”
“It's time the Government stepped in and overruled NPHET on this issue, industries, the aviation sector, the tourism sector, jobs and lives are depending on," Mr Toibin concluded.
He took to twitter to share his message saying "Npet should not be allowed over rule the government on #RapidAntigen Testing" and attached a video of Mairead Toibin, Aontú candidate for Dublin Bay South, who confirmed the party's stance on the issue.
