Ryanair has warned that Ireland is ‘paddy last as usual in Europe’ after it emerged we are the only EU state not ready to roll out the new EU international travel pass today.
The EU Digital Green Certificate will allow people to travel anywhere in the EU – provided they are fully vaccinated, have fully recovered from COVID or undergo a negative COVID test.
The pass comes into effect form today; however, it will not be rolled out in Ireland until July 19th.
At a briefing in Brussels yesterday, the European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said Ireland is the only country not ready to roll it out.
He said the Irish delay was due to the recent cyberattack on the Health Service Executive.
Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson told Newstalk that the Government's failure to get it up and running is unacceptable.
“We are paddy last as usual in Europe,” he said.
“This is a rerun of the summer of last year. The difference with this summer is we have got 1.5 million people that are vaccinated in Ireland and they are being locked up for no good reason other than the Government hasn’t got its finger out to actually do the app that is already working in all these European countries.
“Why can’t they do it today? Honestly we are a shambles compared to what is happening elsewhere in Europe at the moment.”
He said the cert should already be available to fully vaccinated people – with systems for verifying immunity and testing rolled out later.
“Let vaccinated people travel straightway and get this Digital COVID Certificate up and running so that those who have a PCR test who aren’t vaccinated can travel,” he said.
“People need to get home to see relatives. Irish people need to get abroad. We have got over 30% of the adult population that are now double vaccinated, there is no reason why they should be locked up any longer.
“It is an absolute shambles. They need to accept that at border control and get on with it.”
Yesterday, travel expert Eoghan Corry said “all sorts of questions remain” about how the EU travel pass will work for unvaccinated people this summer.
The COVID immunity period will be set at 180 days, rather than the nine months originally suggested by Government.
Antigen tests are expected to be accepted; however, only if they are administered by a professional.
