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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

Digital Covid certificate timing

Summary

Deputy McNamara challenged the Government's handling of the European digital Covid certificate and the timing of travel restrictions. The exchanges became heated, with the Taoiseach insisting Ireland was aligned with the framework, that people could travel, and that the State would be ready for 19 July.

In response to the crisis in the aviation sector generally, and Shannon Airport in particular, many of the Ministers, and indeed backbenchers, said that the digital green pass would be the panacea. I have the regulation introducing it. It came into effect on 1 July. The State does not have six weeks to begin implementing it; it has six weeks to implement it completely. Crucially, as of 1 July, the State must issue certificates to people who have been vaccinated, who have recovered or who have been tested, not in the agreed format, but so that they can travel. Instead, the Ministers have increased the ban on non-essential foreign travel in contravention of that. Does the Government adhere to the rule of law and the belief in the supremacy of EU law?

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I do not quite get the question. We are not banning anything.

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He signed a statutory instrument on 4 July-----

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Deputy McNamara, resume your seat, please.

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The Government is signing on-----

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Does the Taoiseach know what he is doing?

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The Government is signing on with the European digital Covid certificate framework in terms of travel. People can travel now, by the way.

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The Minister for Health-----

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People are----

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Deputy McNamara, you are out of order.

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-----travelling as we speak.

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But he is telling fibs-----

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Deputy, you are out of order.

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The Minister for Health-----

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Deputy, resume your seat.

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-----signed a regulation making it unlawful to travel-----

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Deputy, resume your seat. You are holding up proceedings. Please.

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-----for non-essential reasons until 19 July, in contravention of this.

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The Deputy knows we are going to be ready for 19 July. He knows that.

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But it is not 19 July. This came into force on 1 July.

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We are going to follow through on it.

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