Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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305. To ask the Minister for Culture, Culture, Communications and Sport the progress Ireland has made in becoming part of the eIDAS programme in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67487/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The eIDAS regulation (EU 2024/1183) requires every member state to introduce a secure digital identity framework provided through a digital wallet for use by its citizens by December 2026. The wallet will be voluntary for citizens to use. The regulation also requires the designation of a supervisory body for trust services and a supervisory body for the wallet provider and discussions are progressing on these designations. There is ongoing constructive engagement at European level through the EU Digital Identity Cooperation Group and other forums to exchange information with other member states who are in a position to assist with or support elements of the eIDAS framework implementation in Ireland. Relevant officials are also regularly participating in EU comitology meetings where a range of implementing acts such as setting standards for various trust services are being negotiated and agreed.

My Department chairs a cross-departmental Steering Group to assess the best method of giving full effect to the eIDAS Regulation. The Steering Group includes the Department for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation who have overall policy responsibility for public services transformation, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer who are responsible for the technical architecture to build the Government’s digital wallet and the Department of Social Protection who are responsible for MyGovID.