One-minute passport
However, Korea is way ahead in some areas. “I just saw the way they produce passports here,” said Mr Howlin.
“You can input your data online because you have your own unique identifier and they generate a passport in one minute. The passport office at home has become much more efficient but I think we can learn something from this.
“We have to balance data protection and efficiency, as people are sensitive to this,” he said.
If you are ill, the information would be available on such things as allergies, blood type etc.
And the technology could be developed in Ireland. “We have a huge IT platform in Ireland and there is no reason at all that we can’t develop bespoke answers to Irish problems ourselves,” he said.