Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Fortunately, with a lot progress being made in reducing Covid-19 transmission rates and case numbers, as well as with the roll-out of vaccination programmes, the European Commission has proposed a digital green certificate. However, there is a lot of information missing with regard to whether we intend to use that here and if so, when we will begin to use it and how. It is also unclear how the certificate, which is a facilitation of international travel, might interact with our own restrictions on travel. Is it countenanced that we could be hosting international visitors while our own citizens would be unable to fly? How does it fit with the requirement that travel be for essential purposes only? There is also the question as to whether the State is considering vaccination as a key to easing restrictions on movement. Bearing in mind that the mantra to date has been that we are all in this together, it is worth remembering that there is a cohort of people who, through no fault of their own, whether for medical reasons or because of their age, are not vaccinated. Will the Tánaiste agree to having a debate in Government time on all of these issues?

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