Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My next question is for Mr. Lowry. How does this proposal differ from the digital Covid certificate, DCC? Could I say that the digital Covid certificate is almost a pilot project of what they are proposing? It is a European wide project. The data held under the digital Covid certificate is retained by the host nation or the individual country. How will this differ from the digital Covid certificate and is the DCC the model?

One of the main concerns of the Data Protection Commissioner with the public services card back in 2019 was whether the private sector would be able to get access to data. What is being proposed here would have infinite data on individuals that they can use across the European Union. Knowledge is king, and the controls over it. How will this not be abused? The whole issue comes under cybersecurity. As I understand it , the subsidiarity point effectively supersedes the rights under various EU treaties for an individual state with regard to control of its affairs. The questions concern the digital Covid certificate versus what is being proposed here, the whole area of access to data and who will own the data, and can it be open to abuse. Perhaps Mr. Lowry will flesh this out. Reference is made to banking facilities. Has the Central Bank been consulted on this particular communications directive? I am trying to get the point where I am happy that it does not breach subsidiarity.