The HSE is to change its online Covid-19 vaccination portal after a user pointed out it does not allow those registering to enter a non-white Irish ethnic background. The service, which has been used by hundreds of thousands of people during the vaccine rollout, allows applicants to self-describe as “Irish”, “Irish Traveller” or “other White Background”. The subheadings of backgrounds given in the Census are missing, leaving the only option for Irish being ‘Irish’ ‘’Irish Traveller’ or ‘other White Background’. All other headings, therefore, being ‘not Irish’,” according to Brendan Hennessy, who has raised the issue with the HSE. The department added a supplementary form to its primary level online database after Mr Hennessy pointed out it had only one category of “Irish” on the original questionnaire.

Source: The Irish Times June 07, 2021 02:26 UTC