This comes as part of a €9 million fund announced by Minister Simon Harris.
The distribution of free antigen tests will be available in all third-level institutions in the country. Alongside the tests, there will be a launch of an awareness campaign, which will provide information on antigen tests and their appropriate uses.
This comes following the government’s decision against the subsidisation of antigen tests in an effort to make them more affordable, claiming that many retailers around the country had already reduced the price to a sufficient level.
Minister Harris spoke on the effect antigen testing has had on allowing the return of around 400,000 students to campuses in recent months, noting that the fund comes after he had “met with the experts who see benefit in expanding use and have heard from students who have asked for assistance with the cost.”
The fund is available for the purchase of tests, and it is up to the institutions themselves to set out plans for distribution. Colleges and universities can apply directly to the Department of Higher Education to avail of the funding.