Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the retail and hospitality sectors are a matter for the Department of Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media respectively.

It is the responsibility of individual Government departments to provide sector-specific COVID-19 advice on ventilation as per their respective remits.

Also, it is important to note that ventilation has remained one element of the broader infection prevention and control (IPC) response over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ventilation, however, is just one aspect of a suite of control measures that work in tandem to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The importance of vaccination, physical distancing, avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated spaces, face coverings, and maintaining good hand and respiratory hygiene as a collective suite of measures applied in tandem remains paramount.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1640. To ask the Minister for Health if he will advise on a matter raised in correspondence in relation to the EU digital Covid certificate (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34552/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Digital COVID Certificate Regulation is intended to facilitate people’s fundamental right to move and reside freely and help to support the lifting of restrictions currently in place in a coordinated manner within the EU.

As the Minister for Health, I am supporting the work of my Department in collaborating with relevant Departments under the leadership of the Department of Taoiseach to assist in the on-going implementation of the EU Digital COVID Certificates.

Individuals should receive their EU Digital COVID Certificate when they are fully vaccinated by email or post. Recovery certificates can be requested through the online portal. Certificates based on negative tests for travel within the EU can be obtained from private testing services signed up to the Digital Covid Test Certificate Service.

There is comprehensive information on both the Digital COVID Certificate and international travel in general on gov.ie/travel and www.dfa/travel and passengers are encouraged to check the public health advice and restrictions in place in the destinations they are travelling to before embarking.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1641. To ask the Minister for Health if he has engaged with the Minister for Education, the HSE and higher education institutes to ensure that students on clinical placements in hospitals who opt not to be vaccinated can complete their placements without failing or repeating the previous academic year; if allowing students to have regular Covid-19 testing privately will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34553/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.