Ireland: government encourages employers to implement regular antigen testing

The new Covid-19 national protocol, unveiled by the Irish government on 14 May, encourages companies to conduct regular antigen diagnostic tests on staff that are yet to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Upon the launch of the national protocol Leo Varadkar, the deputy head of the Irish government and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said: “Our objective is to enable people to return to work, to do so safely and to stay safe once they return to work.” The text underlines that even if antigen tests are carried out, the public health and safety rules with regard to mask wearing, social distancing and ventilation must not under any circumstances be relaxed. These remain essential and mandatory. The protocol also says that testing should not be imposed as a condition for reopening a site, nor should it be a green light for an individual to behave in a particular way. Furthermore, before implementing such testing, employers must consult staff and their representatives in advance. As regards the cost of testing, Leo Varadkar says employers may “offset that against their taxes in terms of business expense […] because it’s a health and safety measure”.