He also said that every adult in Ireland should be offered both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine by September.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said that “unimpeded” travel without the need for Covid-19 tests or quarantining could make a return by July.
The Health Minister said that while no official government decision has been made as of yet, he would “very much like to see that [international travel] in place in July”.
Speaking on Ireland AM on Tuesday he said: “I do, I do, I hope so. Now there are no government decisions have been made on this. We’re meeting on Friday morning.
“The Digital Green Certificate is something that the Government supports, and the Digital Green Certificate works on the basis that if you’ve been fully vaccinated – and there are other options as well you can have, which different member states will look at.
“For me, the big point of it is saying if you’re fully vaccinated you can travel within the EU unimpeded, so that is no pre-flight PCR, it’s no hotel quarantine, and critically, it’s no home quarantine either.”
Donnelly said that the Government “wants to sign up to this as quickly as possible”, adding that he is hopeful travel within the EU will be able to make a return by July or August.
The Minister also said he is expecting that every adult within Ireland who wants a Covid-19 vaccine, should be offered both doses (or one for one-shot jabs) by September.
“Now, the exact week in July, the first week in August, whenever that may be, that’s something for Government to decide,” he continued.
“But, certainly I would very much like to see that in place in July.”
The European Commission has said the Digital Green Certificates, also known as EU Covid-19 certificates, will “reaffirm the right to free movement in Europe during the pandemic”.
The document, which may be presented in a digital or paper format, will prove that a person travelling throughout the EU has either been vaccinated against Covid-19, has a recent negative test result, or has recently recovered from the virus.
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