The wallet will also be used to verify age for accessing online platforms.
The Irish Government is inviting people to try out the new official ‘Government Digital Wallet’ as the platform enters its training phase.
Countries including Nigeria, Laos and New Zealand – and the US state of California – are all piloting their own versions of a digital ID platform, as governments across borders try to bolster security and make administration smoother.
The digital wallet makes up a key part of the Government’s Digital Public Services Plan 2030, which aims to use digital technology to make accessing public services easier and more efficient.
It facilitates identity management that residents should be able to use within the EU to access public and private services. The wallet can be used both offline and online, and will allow users to self-manage how their data is shared.
The ID can help obtain a marriage certificate or register for key welfare supports, and holders can also obtain a digital version of their birth certificates, driving licences and other official documents. The wallet will also be used to verify age on online platforms, amid debates in the region on a ban for social media for those under 16.
It is also expected to reduce the need to repeat the same information to different Government departments and make everyday interactions with state administration more seamless.
The EU mandates that all member states must make a digital wallet available to their citizens by the end of 2026. The Irish wallet will be developed to EU digital identity standards, the Government said.
The digital wallet will “make it simpler for people to verify their identity, apply for supports and access entitlements”, said Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers, TD.
“The wallet is designed so that all personal data is fully protected, and the user stays in control of what information they put in the wallet and choose to share. Only the details needed for a service will be shared, and nothing more.”
Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Frank Feighan, TD said that the wallet will be “a crucial element of the Government’s overall portfolio of digital services”.
He added: “It will be able to facilitate secure age verification capability as set out in Digital Ireland and the implementation of the Online Safety Code, under which designated platforms must have age verification measures in place to help protect, in particular, children and young people from online harm.”
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