Mr. Barry Lowry:

From the European perspective, they have identified what they believe they need to drive the central solution and it is €30.8 billion over five years, from 2022 to 2027. That money might include some grant to the member states to do some work on their end. For example, the digital Covid certificate had a small grant to cover some of the cost states committed to it, but not all of it. One of the other options available to us is to use things like Connecting Europe Facility, CEF, funding. We have used that for a number of things.

The underlying premise that an individual can carry his or her own credentials on his or her phone should he or she choose to do that is a very good one and something we have been starting to explore in Ireland as well. I hope some of the investment we might set aside to that in the State will also cover what happens at a European level. For example, if we said to the public that rather than having to remember to carry your driver licence every time you are driving in your car, would you also like a version to have on your phone which gardaí would accept if they stopped you, many people would say they would. Often when going to the gym or somewhere like that, I would not have my jacket and would not have my driver licence with me, but you always seem to have your phone with you wherever you go. There are examples where the people will be very supportive of this. Certainly, there is a consortium within Ireland made up of insurance companies, banking, An Post and various others, which thinks this is a really powerful tool and could be used in many ways. Those organisations will be very keen to see Government sponsor this and make it happen. During Covid we have all gotten used to just touching a screen with our card and having it scanned. Many people now simply carry their card on their phone. Many people are very comfortable with where this technology is going and the opportunities offered.

I think that in Ireland we would be doing much of that anyway regardless of what was happening in Europe. Obviously, the events in Europe will strengthen our determination to move forward as quickly as we can on this.