Leinster House staff will have free access to antigen tests - but TDs and Senators will have to pay.
The Houses of Oireachtas backtracked after it was initially reported that elected officials would also have free access.
It comes after Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin said antigen tests won’t be free for the public but there are plans to subsidise the cost.
Speaking on RTÉ on Wednesday, Minister Donnelly said: “If you subsidise an antigen test, it's money you’re not spending on a nurse,” he said.
He said that in the UK where packs of seven antigen tests were free, the government had been criticised for spending that scale of funds without the ability to trace their use.
“My advice is they shouldn't be free," he added.
It’s also understood that antigen tests won’t be made available to schools for another week or two despite Education Minister Norma Foley stating it should be sorted by the end of this week.
Social Democrats TD and party spokesman on education Gary Gannon has hit out at the delay in getting tests for schools.
Gary Gannon said: “I have learned today that antigen tests will be made available for TDs, and Oireachtas staff, from next week.
“It is incredible that arrangements for antigen tests would be put in place for TDs before teachers and children in primary schools.
“The government has now been promising for months to put in place a system of antigen testing in schools, but we are still none-the-wiser about the details of any proposed scheme.
“Speaking during the week, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly refused to give any indication of when this scheme is likely to be rolled out.
“In that context, it is indefensible for free antigen testing to be rolled out for TDs before they are made available for teachers and children.
“Schools are under severe pressure from the current onslaught of Covid cases and testing is desperately required to identify case and suppress transmission.”
Mr Gannon added: “Meanwhile, a proposed subsidy scheme, for antigen tests for the wider community, has also not been announced yet.
“This means the cost of antigen tests are prohibitive for many who would otherwise use them.
“The use of antigen testing, across society, is a vital component of our response to Covid.
“The government needs to prioritise those sectors which are most vulnerable to spread – especially education, where 500,000 primary school unvaccinated children are crammed into some of the most overcrowded classrooms in the EU.”
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