For months I have constantly raised in Dáil Éireann the need for maximum co-operation on an All Ireland basis in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Glad to receive confirmation from the Minsiter for Health that our HSE Tracing App and the Health and Social Care Board Northern Ireland Tracing App will be compatible.

There has been a great take up of the Tracing App here and hopefully the tracing app in Northern Ireland, launched today, will have the same positive reaction.

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For Written Answer on : 30/07/2020
Question Number(s): 1349 Question Reference(s): 20606/20
Department: Health
Asked by: Brendan Smith T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Health the progress to date in ensuring that the HSE contact tracing application will be compatible with the application being developed by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

Officials and technical teams in Ireland and Northern Ireland have been working closely together since May to ensure the contact tracing apps deployed in each jurisdiction are compatible with each other. The technology is now built and supporting documentation is currently being updated. This will enable contact tracing apps to work on an all island basis which is crucial given the number of people crossing the border every day and the need for a coordinated response to the pandemic.