Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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76. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the implementation of the EU Covid Digital Certificate in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31925/21]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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81. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the preparations his Department has taken to date regarding the EU digital Covid certificate; the expected timeframe for introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32425/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 81 together.

Government has been clear in expressing its support for the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) proposal and welcomes the agreement reached between the Council and European Parliament which will enable roll-out of the system and allow DCCs to begin to be issued to EU citizens in the coming weeks. I can advise the Deputy that the Department of Health in conjunction with the Department of the Taoiseach are continuing the work to ensure Ireland is in a position to comply with the EUDCC as required.

From 19 July, subject to the prevailing public health situation, Ireland will implement new arrangements for travel to ireland based on the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC). A DCC will show if a passenger is vaccinated against COVID-19; has recovered from COVID-19; or has a negative test result.

Passengers arriving into Ireland from an EU/EEA Member State with a DCC will not have to undergo quarantine. However, passengers with a DCC based on a non-PCR test (for example, an antigen test), or those arriving without a DCC, will require proof of a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival.

Children aged between 7 and 18 who have not been vaccinated must also have a negative RT-PCR test.

A passenger who has been in a non-EU/EEA country in the 14 days prior to arrival into Ireland will be subject to the rules applying to travel from that country which, in some cases, may require quarantine at a designated hotel.

All passengers will be advised to observe public health restrictions and to present for post-arrival testing if they develop symptoms of COVID-19.

It is important to note that the EU DCC is not a travel document. The possession of an EU DCC will not be a precondition to travel. Individual Member States will determine how the DCC will be used as part of national public health measures.

Furthermore, from 19 July, Ireland will also broadly align itself to the EU approach to non-essential travel into the EU from third countries (outside EU/EEA).

To protect its citizens against the importation of variants, an ‘emergency brake’ mechanism will be coordinated at EU level to react swiftly to the emergence of a variant of concern or variant of interest.