The Government has been urged to be ready to adopt EU plans for a Covid-19 travel certificate so the tourism industry can benefit from overseas visitors this summer. Plans to develop a certificate to restart travel across the EU are being advanced as the vaccination programme progresses in each country. Phase-in periodMinister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said the Government is working on an IT system to connect with the EU green certificate travel system. Former Fine Gael minister Senator Regina Doherty warned that Ireland “must be ready to implement the EU’s ‘Covid-19 certificate’ for cross-border travel within the EU, so as not to be left behind the rest of Europe as safe international travel reopens in coming months”. Ms Doherty said that this temporary travel certificate provided a lifeline to our struggling aviation industry and gave hope to the 150,000 people directly employed by the industry here.

Source: The Irish Times April 29, 2021 19:53 UTC