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THE HSE HAS spent over €480 million on Covid-19 tests and testing centres throughout the pandemic.
Additionally, the health service has purchased two million “I got my Covid-19 vaccine” badges at a cost of €320,000.
Since March 2020, the State has provided free PCR tests to individuals to identify cases of the virus.
By the end of that month, more than 30,000 tests had been carried out as health officials tried to curb the initial spread of Covid-19.
But as the incidence of the virus continued to grow, so did the level of testing, with more than seven million tests completed around the country to date.
Figures released to The Journal under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 show that in 2020, operating Covid-19 testing centres cost the State €19 million.
This year, that expense has risen to nearly €28 million up to the middle of August.
Meanwhile, the cost of the testing process in laboratories was €246 million last year and €189 million in the first eight months of 2021.
That means the recorded cost of operating test centres is already higher in 2021 than it was last year, but the cost in laboratories has not seen a similar increase.
To account for the rise in test centre costs, a spokesperson for the HSE told The Journal: “In 2020, there were significant numbers of staff redeployed to swabbing from other roles and were not costed to a Covid cost centre, so they do not appear in the 2020 costs. Dedicated swabbers were then recruited and staff returned to their substantive posts.”
“There were also significant developments with pop-up test centres, walk-in testing and an online booking system to improve access to testing for those who need it,” the HSE said.
In total, €217 million has been spent on providing free PCR tests this year up to August, on top of €264 million in 2020.
When the PCR testing programme began, there were long lists of people waiting around four to five days for a test and another seven days – or even ten – to receive their result.
However, testing capacity and turnaround times increased dramatically coming into the summer months as the HSE and Department of Health allocated resources to the programme and community test centres were set up around the country. The system has since been widely praised for being fast and efficient.
The operation of the testing programme has not always run smoothly.
When the HSE was hit by the cyberattack in May, the systems for GP and close contact referrals to testing were temporarily taken down and patients or contacts who needed tests were instead advised to attend walk-in centres, which were intended to only handle asymptomatic people who opted to be tested.
Last week, the HSE ceased walk-in testing nationwide with little notice after demand increased by 35% over two days.
Walk-in testing remains unavailable, with those who need to get tested required to book an appointment online.
The HSE told The Journal it had seen very “significant demand for Covid-19 PCR testing across all its testing sites” over several days.
“Our priority is to ensure that the necessary volume of testing is available to those who most require it; therefore we would ask those who are fully vaccinated and are asymptomatic not to attend for PCR testing unless otherwise directed by your doctor or Public Health,” it said.
Earlier this week, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said that Monday was the “highest daily volume” of Covid-19 testing since the start of the pandemic.
Over 23,000 tests were carried out in community centres, with an estimated 30,000-plus tests in total including those done in hospitals and serial (regularly scheduled) testing.
“An extremely high rate and we have to monitor capacity over the coming days,” Reid said.
For its vaccine programme, the HSE has spent €320,000 to purchase two million “I got my Covid-19 vaccine” badges.
The badges are available at vaccination centres to people who recieve a vaccine against the virus.
Ahead of the vaccine centres opening earlier this year, 500,000 of the blue badges were printed.
The HSE said the initial run of the badges was “well received” by those who attended for a vaccine.
1.5 million more badges were subsequently ordered in English and Irish.
Each individual badge costs 16 cent.
A further €8,804 was spent on photo backdrops at vaccination centres to encourage people to share images online that can help to encourage others attend for a jab.
In Northern Ireland, health officials similarly set up areas in vaccine centres where people could take photos in a bid to encourage young people to be vaccinated while uptake in 18 to 29s lagged behind older age groups, along with other measures like pop-up clinics.
At the time, less than 60% of 18 to 29s were at least partially vaccinated. Now, that figure has risen to 72.8% but is still the lowest uptake of any age group other than 16 and 17-year-olds.
The HSE’s expenditure on vaccine badges and photo backdrops was allocated under its communications budget for the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine programme.
In a statement, the HSE said it is “very pleased with the increase in people sharing pictures of their badges after vaccination or at the vaccination centre photo station on social media”.
“We know from our planning and from listening to people’s views that seeing other people share their experiences of having their vaccine, encouraging social proof, is a very important part of the Covid-19 vaccine communications strategy,” the HSE said.
A large number of posts can be seen on social media where people shared photos of their vaccine badge.
Many users also chose to feature their vaccination record, information leaflet, or a selfie instead.
As of Wednesday, nearly 7.1 million vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered in Ireland, including 3.7 million first doses and 3.3 million second doses.
Overall, spending on healthcare in Ireland increased by €2.6 billion last year due to the pandemic.
Data from the Central Statistics Office show that the government spent €26.4 billion on healthcare in 2020, including €2.4 billion related to Covid-19.
Statistician Elaine O’Sullivan said that “as expected, Covid-19 had a dramatic impact on healthcare expenditure in 2020, resulting in an 11% increase in spending, or €2.6 billion”.
Much of the Covid-19 expenditure was on personal protective equipment, swab kits and ventilators, as well as spending on treatment costs and testing costs.
The government spent nearly €1 billion on PPE, swab kits and ventilators last year - €918 million.
Covid-19 related treatment costs amounted to €373 million, while miscellaneous health care expenses related to the virus cost €1,343 million.
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Isis or Kinahans?
@Mark Kenny: what’s the difference at this point?
@Mark Kenny: dissident republicans
Just dysfunctional people doing dysfunctional stuff.
Evacuate the area then let it go off, and start building the inner city again from scratch. Opportunity missed ;)
@Scundered: re building wont get get rid of the problems…..just cost taxpayers!
@Scundered: and where would you like us to move too? Housing crisis as it is.
@Sabrina (^_^): Ballybough’s a decent area, born and bred here
@Scundered: Better idea evacuate everyone and put you in the van. How about that.
@Bopper Bops Holland: but Summerhill is just up the road…
@Scundered: I bet your the first and last at proctologist everyday. But didn’t they tell you that your wasting your time they can’t do anything for ass holes.
@Scundered: I live in the area and kinda of agree, sad fact is that there are too many social housing blocks in the area, with more beind built. Those of us paying mortgages and workind arw ignored by local politicians and are not the ones out having a nosey.
@Scundered: Would have been better to spread the word it was full of heroine. Then let it go off 30 mins later.
@Sabrina (^_^): it’s not a housing crisis, it’s a people crisis, where people are creating families with no means to pay for it.
@Blah blah: they should move anyone who hasn’t shown any interest in working to outside the m50 line, and keep the city centre for those who are working, which would make it safer for tourists too. Everyone would win. Social housing shouldn’t be in the centre, sure we would all love a free city centre pad.
@Scundered: I grew up there and have been a tax payer since I got my first degree in 2007. I am now paying a mortgage on a house outside of the city.
My mother who is disabled still lives there and has lived there for the over 20 years. She is a short distance away from the hospital that she has to attend on a regular basis.
Think before you make small minded statements.
I hope you never end up having to rely on the state for support.
I also hope you never have to hear someone wish your childhood home be blown up.
isisidents
A very serious development if it is connected to the feud.How brazen or desperate were these men to drive a van with explosive material through the heart of the north inner city only a couple of days after the murder of Michael Keogh?When tensions are at boiling point and police are very visible with checkpoints in many areas.
Maybe it will turn out to be not feud related but if it is it is a scary thought to what could have happened to whoever the intended targets were.
Thank God the garda intercepted this mobile death machine.Good work cops.
@mark kenny: I think this shows that they don’t give a damn. . They’re going to do whatever they want !
@Scundered:
Garda & Army telling people too leave their homes, children playing on the street put in danger, & some think it would be good thing if the area was wiped off the map , Shame on you, & Shame on the people who transport such items.
@Patrick Ellis: sorry your upset snowflake
@Patrick Ellis: the area was fine before man came along.
Those lads look like they’ve blown it!
@Turk Oneeighttwo: Your all quick with the smart comments but don’t forget this feud is going to get more people killed and possibly innocent people at that. So just give a thought to those killed and injured.
Seems like Gorrah was right, they haven’t gone away you know.
ISIHENS
Unless the detonators are inserted and det cord plastic explosive be it semtex pe 4 or whatever is perfectly safe u can even put a match or flame to it as it takes a direct explosion or electrical current to detonate the explosive which is delivered by the detonator plastic is a very safe explosive and easy to handle
@Mark Dawson: if was just the plastic been transported its no danger and even if a detonator was inserted put on a leather glove and pull it out the static in your body could ignite the detonator hence the glove i seriously doubt it was anymore sophisticated than that but how the hell they got hands on plastic is another thing
have your say