Passengers arriving into Ireland will only face random checks of their EU digital travel passes, it has emerged.
Justice Minister Heather Humphreys has defended the system which will not see everyone’s cert scanned and has said random checks were “appropriate” and “safe" as all travellers will have been checked for the certificate before boarding a flight in the EU.
The codes will be checked by airlines on departure from Ireland, it is expected.
When asked if the checking of the vaccine cert in hospitality would be random as at the airport, she said: “The number of people going into a restaurant will be somewhat less than the number of people who are going to be coming through Dublin Airport when international travel has been reopened.
“I think we need to get this into perspective.
"All EU travellers will have the same checks, as I’ve said we have increased resources, that’s the approach we’re taking, we consider that to be appropriate. We consider that to be safe."
Minister Humphreys also explained the Covid vaccine cert would also be used to access indoor hospitality.
She told RTE News: “It is envisaged that the pub and restaurant would check compliance with the new hospitality pass to allow indoor access to their premises, there will be a certificate with a QR code that can be scanned or checked, the overwhelming majority of people have cooperated with measures which have been put in place throughout the pandemic and we expect that to continue."
Fully vaccinated people will begin to receive their EU Digital Covid Certs (DCC) from today.
People vaccinated via the HSE national portal should receive their vaccine pass through email.
And one million people will receive their certs in the post if they received their jab through their GP or through other settings.
Those who receive their EU Digital Covid Cert as a hard copy in the post can take a photograph of the certificate to carry on their phone.
But they are advised to keep the printed copy in the event there is any issue with the image.
The certs will have a QR code which will show an individual’s vaccination status once scanned.
A helpline is expected to be set up before July 19 for people who have recovered from Covid-19 and need a vaccine pass.
Passengers leaving Ireland are being urged to be familiar with the entry requirements of the country they are travelling to.
