A Waterford TD is again calling for staff in nursing homes to be allowed to carry out coronavirus testing of residents.
Matt Shanahan was speaking before the Oireachtas Committee examining the Covid-19 crisis.
He believes it would speed up the turn-around time further.
"Why are senior nurse managers in nursing homes not allowed to take swab tests and present them to the local care setting?
"I know in Waterford at present we have been successfully using the University Hospital Waterford south east regional pathology laboratory.
"We are turning around swab tests in less than 24 hours.
"It seems we have to send out National Ambulance Service personnel to take swabs.
"Why are we doing that when we have qualified people in-house to do it?"
Dr Siobhan Kennelly is from the HSE:
"I agree with Deputy Shanahan on this. A number of CHOs have put in place training in order that the nursing homes can run that testing.
"Part of that is about then being able to get the tests to the relevant laboratories.
"A national testing pathway is being put in place through NPHET and the HSE. That will be available to us in due course in terms of how testing will be upscaled."
