Clarity urgently needed ahead of return of international travel – Doherty

Many unanswered questions remain surrounding Ireland’s implementation of the EU Covid Digital Certificate prior to the return of international travel next month, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

While raising the plans for the Certificate with the Minister of State for Public Procurement and eGovernment Ossian Smyth in the Seanad this week, Senator Doherty said, “The importance of reopening our skies and regaining our crucial connectivity cannot be understated.

“Hundreds of thousands of jobs are relying on us, and Europe, getting this reopening right; we must ensure both a safe and easy return to unhindered travel across the European Union.

“We really need to hear the details of the digital cert; how it will work here, how Irish citizens will get one, who will give it to them, when can people apply and whether our testing and vaccination systems will feed into it.”

In response to the update provided by Minister Smyth, Senator Doherty said, “We’ve been left with more questions than answers. The Minister confirmed that there will be a mobile app with a QR code, but we will also be relying on emailed proof of vaccination from the HSE and emailed test results from labs.

“Travel resumes here in less than a months’ time. There’ll be much more people departing and arriving from our airports from July 19^th and the process must be clear, simple and tested well before this date.

“Based on our engagement with the Minister, we really aren’t any the wiser as to how the system will work and that’s deeply concerning.

“We need urgent clarification from the relevant authorities involved, and when the process is eventually outlined, we need a full public campaign so that everyone is aware of what is required to enter and leave the State,” concluded Senator Doherty.