According to the Sunday Independent, Education Minister Norma Foley's looking to establish if the test can be used as part of efforts to ensure a safe return to the classroom.
Schools are to begin reopening in just over a week, by which time few eligible students will have received a second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Director of Communications at the INTO, David Geary, says it's also waiting on advice around pregnant teachers:
"And rightly, pregnant workers, who are under 14 weeks into their pregnancy, are rightly concerned about going back into an unvaccinated classroom. As we have continued to engage with the Department, we intend to engage over the coming days and weeks as well. We have called on the Minister and Department of Education to engage directly with this very small cohort of pregnant workers to explain the updated public health advice and to to engage with them directly to better understand their personal circumstances."
