James Cox
The new EU Covid travel cert shouldn’t be used for domestic reasons to enable those who’ve been vaccinated to enjoy indoor dining and drinking, according to Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher.
People in Ireland — who have been fully vaccinated — should begin to receive the digital Covid certificates from Monday. The certs will make it much easier for vaccinated travellers to move freely around the EU.
However, Mr Kelleher is opposing suggestions that the certs could also be used by the hospitality sector in Ireland to screen diners and drinkers to serve them inside their premises.
He told EuroParlRadio: “If a country wishes to implement its own Covid pass system, that is fine, but using a digital certificate which is conceived by Europe for the purpose of free movement of people, if we start to use that internally I would be genuinely concerned.”
Mr Kelleher added: “If member states wish to implement their own policies around access to services or access to facilities, well that's a different matter, but using the certificate itself, I would be reluctant to support that.”
