Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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147. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the expected timeframe for the introduction of at least one EU digital identity wallet here in advance of the 2026 deadline. [54345/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation is leading on digitalisation of public services, which is a core component of the Better Public Service Transformation strategy. The Government digital wallet is one of a number of building blocks of the digital transition that will see all key public services becoming available online over the next five years in line with our targets under the EU Digital Decade. A public service digitalisation roadmap setting out key milestones for delivery is currently in development.

The eIDAS Regulation, originally adopted as Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 and updated by Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, establishes a comprehensive legal framework for electronic identification (eID) that supports Ireland’s aim of providing secure, seamless, and trustworthy digital services. Under this framework it is anticipated that a digital wallet will be available nationally by the end of 2026. Implementation of the updated eIDAS regulation is being progressed in a programme of work coordinated by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

In tandem with this, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) is leading on the design and testing of the national digital wallet to ensure that it meets the needs of users in a way that is simple, intuitive and technically robust. This builds on the previous work done to design and develop this technology with a group of over 500 public servants over July to October 2024, which was very well received by those involved and informed the further design and development work to be done. Further testing is planned over the course of 2025 and 2026 within specific cohorts of users to refine and enhance the national digital wallet that will be made available to all citizens next year.