The Special Committee on Covid-19 will write to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly about private hospital covid tests at the request of Sinn Féin Health Spokesperson David Cullinane TD.

The Waterford TD has said Minister Donnelly must tackle private hospitals on charging for covid tests.

Teachta Cullinane said:

“Today I proposed that the Covid Committee write to Minister Donnelly and the Department of Health about private hospitals charging for covid tests.

“The committee will act on my request and will now write to Minister Donnelly and the Department.

“We are calling on Minister Donnelly to step up to the plate here. He must tackle private hospitals on charging for covid tests.

“Private hospitals, which benefitted from a very lucrative deal with the state, are seeking to push the entire burden of the pandemic onto the consumer and the public system.

“They are charging up to €275 for covid tests, and private health insurance won’t cover the cost of it. This is unfair and unjust.

“It is a disgrace that we have a system that forces people to pay for much needed healthcare.

“It is a kick in the teeth for those who work hard to have access to the private system to now have to pay an additional cost. This is causing much distress, especially for older people and vulnerable patients.

“This underlines the problems with private healthcare – it is not about service delivery it is about profit. This behaviour has to stop.”