Brendan Griffin
Question:2271. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the reason a test (details supplied) is not covered in the EU Digital COVID Certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37212/21]
View answerTuesday, 27 July 2021
Questions (2271, 2287, 2366, 2765)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:2287. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the reason the coronavirus antibody laboratory test that checks for the presence of coronavirus IgG antibodies due to a past infection is not covered in the new EU Digital COVID Certificate for travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37257/21]
View answer
Neale Richmond
Question:2366. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if antibody tests will be used in the EU Digital COVID Certificate to certify previous infection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37511/21]
View answer
Cormac Devlin
Question:2765. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if the use of Covid-19 antibody tests can be considered to confirm a positive Covid-19 result for the purposes of the EU Digital Certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39065/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2271, 2287, 2366 and 2765 together.
The Digital COVID Certificate Regulation is intended to facilitate people’s fundamental right to move and reside freely and help to support the lifting of restrictions currently in place in a coordinated manner within the EU. The EU Digital COVID Certificate is not a travel document.
As the Minister for Health, I am supporting the work of my Department in collaborating with relevant Departments under the leadership of the Department of Taoiseach to assist in the on-going implementation of the EU Digital COVID Certificates.
Under the EU Regulation a certificate of recovery is a certificate confirming that, following a positive result of a NAAT test, meaning a molecular nucleic acid amplification test, such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) techniques, used to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA), carried out by health professionals or by skilled testing personnel the holder has recovered from a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
On the basis of guidance received from the EU Health Security Committee, the ECDC, or the EMA, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts to allow for the issuance of the certificate of recovery on the basis of a positive rapid antigen test, antibody test, including a serological test for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, or any other scientifically validated method.