Written answers

Wednesday, 24 November 2021

Photo of Jackie CahillJackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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216. To ask the Minister for Health if privately owned recreational centres that offer facilities such as a gym and sauna can request proof of a Covid-19 vaccination from potential patrons and refuse entry if it cannot be proven that the potential patron is not fully vaccinated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57880/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Conditions for entry to privately owned premises are not a matter for the Department of Health however it is our understanding that privately owned premises are free to set their own terms and conditions for entry to their premises.

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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217. To ask the Minister for Health if he will make it mandatory for premises to check photo identification when checking EU Digital COVID Certificates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57885/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Responsibility for ensuring that only permitted persons access relevant indoor premises rests with the indoor operator who must satisfy themselves that any person seeking to enter a relevant indoor premises is a permitted person. This is provided for in Section 31AB(3)(a) of the Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2021 which requires indoor operators to take “reasonable steps (including by inspecting such documents, if any, as may be prescribed in regulations under subsection (4)) to ensure that a person other than a permitted person is not admitted to a relevant indoor premises”.

The Health Act 1947 (Sections 31AB and 31AD) (Covid-19) (Operation of certain indoor premises) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 385 of 2021) provide that“an indoor operator may, for the purposes of establishing that a person seeking to enter a relevant indoor premises is, or a child accompanying the person is, a permitted person, in accordance with section 31AB(4)(d)(ii) of the Act of 1947, request the following information or proof:

(a) For the purposes of paragraph (a) of the definition of “permitted person” in section 2 of the Health Act, 1947, proof of immunity together with a proof of identity which enables the operator to satisfy himself or herself that the proof of immunity relates to that person;”

Taking the above into consideration, the indoor operator is required to take reasonable steps to ensure that only permitted persons are allowed access relevant indoor premises. S.I. No. 385 of 2021 provides indoor operators with the authority to request proof of identity to enable them to satisfy themselves that the proof of immunity relates to the person proffering it.

If the indoor operator can satisfy themselves that the proof of immunity relates to the person proffering it without recourse to proof of identification (for example in the case of a regular customer whose identity is known, or a person who had already been in the restaurant and stepped out momentarily), then proof of identity need not be requested. Accordingly, it is at the discretion of the indoor operator in question to ask but only if they do not need proof of identity to satisfy themselves that the proof of immunity relates to the person proffering it.

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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218. To ask the Minister for Health the considerations that were made in the Covid-19 pass system for persons who are medically advised against receiving a Covid-19 vaccination. [57890/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The current high level of COVID-19 infection and the dominance of the significantly more transmissible Delta variant poses a very substantial threat, particularly to those who are not fully protected through vaccination. Public health advice remains that those who are not fully vaccinated should avoid congregated indoor settings for their own and others safety.

The National Public Health Emergency Team gave some consideration to the issues arising for those people that can’t receive a COVID-19 vaccine for medical reasons as part of its discussions on the 18th October 2021 on the continuing response to COVID-19 and the extension of Covid Pass arrangements. The matter is being given further consideration.

The Deputy may wish to be aware that on 15 July, NIAC made a recommendation, which was endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer and accepted by the Minister for Health that while the preference was for homologous vaccination regimens (using the same vaccine as part of a two dose regime) that selective use of heterologous vaccination schedules (two different vaccines used as part of two dose regime) should be permitted where a second vaccine dose of a homologous regimen is contraindicated, irrespective of whether the first dose was an mRNA or adenoviral vector vaccine. NIAC in conjunction with the RCPI and the Irish Association of Allergy and Immunology have prepared a guide to aid vaccinators and other healthcare workers on how to advise allergic individuals in respect of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, this guide is available here: rcpi-live-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/FAQs-about-COVID19-Vaccines-and-Allergies_12August2021.pdf.

Photo of Carol NolanCarol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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219. To ask the Minister for Health the number of COVID-19 Recovery Certificate requests that have been made from the time the application process for same began; the number that have been issued and rejected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57891/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The EU Digital COVID Certificate is a document which is issued to help facilitate enable the safe and free international movement of people across the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic through the issuing and verification of vaccination, recovery and test certificates as part of an interoperable trust framework.

To date 104,236 recovery certificates have issued in Ireland. The number of rejected applications is not available.

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