Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The digital green certificate is seen by many as the only way to ensure there is safe overseas travel this coming summer. In principle I support the idea of a digital green certificate, although I have a few concerns I will outline later. On the certificates, can the Minister of State outline a realistic timeframe for when we might be able to implement this? Are we looking at weeks or even months before it can be implemented? I would welcome an update from the Minister of State in this regard. I believe that today the EU stated it will be available from 1 June. One of the main reasons I support the introduction of the digital green certificate is that it will reopen the hospitality sector to overseas travel and help our aviation sector, among many others. From speaking to and engaging with a large number of businesses in my own constituency, Louth, which are heavily dependent on overseas travel for their income, I know the past 14 months have been, quite frankly, disastrous. While I welcome the Government's efforts to support these businesses during the lockdowns it simply was not going to be enough for many of them to stay afloat.

One of the big questions I am being asked about the digital green certificate is whether the United States will be part of the scheme. Many businesses in County Louth involved in the tourism sector, and particularly those in the north of the county, rely heavily on tourists from North America. Can the Minister of State confirm what the situation is with visitors from the United States and the digital green certificate? Will such visitors be part of the scheme and if not, will a separate scheme be operated for them? As I said already, many businesses in the tourism sector, particularly areas in the northern part of the county like Carlingford and Omeath, have suffered a great loss as a result of the lockdown. Their only chance of survival is the reopening of the sector and in particular, being able to receive visitors from North America. I would therefore be very grateful if the Minister of State could give us a detailed update on this.

At the beginning of my speech I mentioned I had some concerns about the digital green certificate. As we all know, the digital green certificate is being introduced so as to give countries assurances that visitors from other countries are vaccinated and not carrying the virus. I have concerns about the forging of green certificates. Can the Minister of State update the House on the measures being taken to ensure digital green certificates are authentic and genuine? What measures are being taken to ensure digital green certificates are not fraudulent? Also, can the Minister of State confirm that once it is introduced, the same procedure will be implemented by all member states? We do not want to see some states adopting different sets of rules to others.

I come from Dundalk, a Border area, and like all other parts of the island we have suffered due to the pandemic and Brexit. Many people who live in Dundalk work in the North as teachers, nurses, or in other essential roles and most of them got vaccinated in the North. Will they be entitled to the green certificate and vice versa, will those from the North who get vaccinated in the South get green certificates? The big concern I have had in my constituency office over the last number of days concerns the vaccination programme. The people have been asked to register online for the vaccine and have done so for the last number of weeks. However, there seems to be a big gap because only this morning, I encountered eight different people born in 1961 who had been skipped and all of a sudden. their siblings who registered a week or two later have got it. They want to get the digital green certificate. They want to either go on holidays or visit their loved ones. Can the Minster of State check with the HSE and see what exactly is happening at the moment? I ask because when these people ring the helpline looking for an update on when they are going to be vaccinated, they are basically being fobbed off and that is not very fair. As I said these citizens have been asked to register, they have done so and the least the HSE can do is give them a decent answer.

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