It has cost the HSE over €1 billion to provide free PCR tests for COVID-19 to the public.

That's according to new figures released under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

The HSE has been providing free PCR tests for COVID for over two years.

They are currently confined to high-risk groups, like those aged over-55 who have not had a booster vaccine.

Over 11.3 million PCR tests have been carried out within the public healthcare system.

This has cost a total of €1,072,177,859.

A sign for the Health Service Executive (HSE) is seen in Dundalk, Co Louth in 2014. Picture by: Stephen Barnes/Medical / Alamy Stock Photo

This includes referral and swabbing costs, reading the test results and transporting the tests.

Donegal GP Ciarán O Fearraigh said the tests had a crucial role during the pandemic.

"I suppose it's hard to think now but they were absolutely vital throughout the pandemic.

"And I suppose at the very start, we struggled to get access to those initially.

"Then there was a huge scale-up of availability, which was crucial in our response to the pandemic at the particular time.

"But I suppose we have moved on now and they're less and less important as time goes on".

Over 6.2 million tests have been carried out in test centres.

This is over 370,000 in Citywest in Dublin, 310,000 in The Lee centre in Cork and 281,000 at Galway Airport.

Main image: A woman performs a Covid-19 self-test at home. Picture by: Corinna Kern / Alamy Stock Photo