Seanad debates

Thursday, 30 September 2021

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Covid-19 Pandemic

10:30 am

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for their questions and I will do my best to answer them with the details that have been provided to me. I thank them for the opportunity to speak on the online portal. The EU digital Covid certificate introduced in July provides the framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of inter-operable Covid certificates. The EU digital Covid certificate is a proof that a person has either been vaccinated against Covid-19, received a negative Covid-19 test result or recovered from Covid-19. They are the three criteria. The purpose of the digital Covid certificate is to facilitate free movement.

Due to significant and productive cross-government collaboration we were successfully able to overcome the initial impediments and complications that come with any large-scale project. With more than 4 million certificates issued, this project has helped support the safe reopening of our society. It has also been used in Ireland and in other EU member states, domestically, for facilitating safe access to indoor hospitality, supporting the reopening of our economy. Only a small number of EU countries, including France, are choosing to issue EU digital Covid certificates to their citizens who were vaccinated abroad. However, yesterday it was announced that we would take first steps towards implementing this option and expanding the service to allow Irish passport holders who have been vaccinated in a third country to access an EU digital Covid certificate. This service is now available to Irish citizens who have been vaccinated in Northern Ireland and it will extend to Irish citizens vaccinated in further areas outside of the EU in October.

The dedicated online portal currently accepts applications from Irish citizens vaccinated in Northern Ireland who hold a Northern Irish Covid vaccination certificate with a QR code. Irish citizens resident in Ireland who have been vaccinated in Northern Ireland may also apply. Through the online portal, individuals will be asked to upload a copy of their Irish passport, upload their reliable proof of vaccination in the form of their Northern Ireland vaccination certificate and give their consent to process the data for this specific purpose. If the person provides satisfactory proof of identity and vaccination, the EU digital Covid certificate will be sent to the person by email. The online portal will be expanded to accept applications from Irish citizens vaccinated in other non-EU countries from 21 October. Initially, therefore, it is for Northern Ireland and people living in the South who were vaccinated in Northern Ireland.

The EU digital Covid certificate initiative is quickly emerging as the robust international standard for Covid certification, as evidenced by the joining of an additional 16 countries which are recognised as equivalents under the initiative. The Government is pleased to be able to put Ireland in the lead in ensuring these certificates are more widely available to our citizens. Everybody will accept and acknowledge that there were impediments initially for the original digital Covid certificate, but they were ironed out very quickly. My 15-year-old received the second vaccine and by that evening the certificate had arrived, although it is not viable for 14 days until the timeline had passed. It is happening very quickly for somebody who receives the second Covid vaccine.

I hope I managed to answer most of the Senators' questions. If not, I will certainly get them a more comprehensive response.

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