Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 July 2021

Tuesday, 13 July 2021

Questions (287)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

287. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the public will be informed of the action they need to take to obtain an EU Digital COVID Certificate; if these will take a paper or digital format; the issuing authority for the certificates; the way the public can upload their data to a certificate; if the technology to enable the Certificate in Ireland will be fully operational on or before 19 July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37240/21]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

As the deputy is probably aware, the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) is proof (in digital or paper format) that a person has either:

- been vaccinated against COVID-19;

- received a negative test result; or

- recovered from COVID-19 (valid for 180 days).

The DCC is not a travel document or a passport, but it will help people to travel safely within the EU/EEA during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate(DCC) in Ireland is being developed by a senior cross-departmental group chaired by Taoiseach's department, with my Department, through the OGCIO, being responsible for the technical component of the EU DCC production.

Work is ongoing to ensure that certificates are issued for 19th July where vaccinations have already taken place and automatically produced within a few days of new vaccinations. The certificates will issue by email in pdf format where an email address was provided or via the postal system where no email was recorded. The issuing authority is the Department of Health.

Updated advice on, and answers to frequently asked questions, about the EU DCC has been published on Gov.ie on the 8th of July 2021.

www.gov.ie/en/publication/3a698-eu-digital-covid-certificate/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/digitalcovidcert/.