Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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1002. To ask the Minister for Health the number of patient files on the Covid-19 tracker application, that is, the number of individual entries who have been contact-traced. [12136/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I assume when the Deputy refers to the Covid-19 tracker application she is referring to Covid Tracker App (the app that is used on peoples smartphones).

On that basis, the app does not store patient files on the app. It only records anonymous keys that indicate a close contact with another individual, also carrying the app. These keys can be uploaded by any person carrying the app who is subsequently confirmed as Covid positive and used to alert others that are also carrying the app. The app is designed with privacy at its core which means the contact tracing service can only see how many people were alerted - not who they are - which means they are still reliant on those people contacting the health service to facilitate contact tracing and further intervention. Fortunately the majority of app users choose to store their mobile phone number in the app and permit contact tracers can contact them directly if necessary. The mobile number is stored on the phone and only released to contact tracers if and when they receive a close contact notification.

Statistics on the number or people choosing to upload their keys and those notified by the app are reported in the app itself.