The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has called on the government to “support and engage” with the EU over the implementation of the EU Covid-19 Certificate, as the Digital Green Certificate is now known. Implementation of the certificates could allow travel to resume within the EU “later this year,” it says, and that they could “help to repair some of the damage caused to the Irish travel sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The certificates will be introduced on June 3, with each member state given six weeks to put the system into place. The ITAA says any delay would mean “Ireland will fall behind other EU member states in terms of reopening inbound and outbound travel, which would cause further problems for the Irish travel industry.”
ITAA CEO Pat Dawson said, “We are calling on Government to ensure that there is no delay in the rollout of the [EU Covid-19 Certificates], to avoid being left behind as the other 26 EU countries begin to reopen their borders for travel. This initiative will not work unless all member states are prepared and willing to implement the certificates in a timely manner and follow the same structure across all EU countries.”
He continued, “We want to work with Government to implement this initiative as soon as possible in order to begin avoid falling behind other EU member states, so that we are well prepared in order to safely resume international travel.”
