The reality of the New Year is setting in. The remnants of Christmas decorations that still hang above Dublin’s streets have gone dark. Last week’s cold snap has abated, with the return of mild temperatures in the mid 50s F / mid 10s C. The weekend went by all too quickly. On Saturday, after my usual weekly SuperValu grocery delivery in the morning, I met up with my friend CJ for a catch-up. We took a walk down to Rathmines village and had lunch at Hush, a tasty sandwich place that I hadn’t been to since indoor dining restrictions were lifted months ago. We arrived at the end of the lunch rush and waited 10 minutes for a table. Unfortunately, they were out of some of the more interesting menu options, but their fried chicken sandwich was very good. On Sunday, I slept in late then did a full cleaning of my apartment. In the evening, my friend N. came over to watch the new Matrix Resurrections movie that is available via one of my streaming services. We had originally planned on going to see it at the cinema, but movie theatres must abide by the 8:00pm early closing time imposed by the government just like pubs, restaurants other public performance spaces. I am getting good use out of my projector / home theatre setup!
There are a number of projects on my personal to-do list in the New Year, including:
• Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) card application — This entitlement caps the monthly out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs in addition to the rental of any CPAP or oxygen equipment at €114 each calendar month; this threshold is supposed to be lowered to €100 in 2022 as part of the government’s budget plan, but so far this change does not appear to have been implemented yet. The DPS application website was down the last time I checked it a few months ago, possibly as a hold-over from the ransomeware attack on Ireland’s Health Services Executive in May 2021. The website was working when I checked it again this weekend, and I was able to submit the application without much effort. No estimate was provided as to how quickly the application would be processed.
• EU Digital COVID certificate update to reflect 3rd vaccine dose (aka booster) — The Irish government began emailing updated digital certificates late last week. Once I received mine, I was able to replace the previous certificate on my COVID Tracker app, so now it reflects all three doses. The update was rolled out in advance of new EU rules that will come into effect from 1 February 2022 that place a 9-month maximum validity period for EU Digital COVID Certificates. Currently, the Irish government is not planning imposing similar validity periods on vaccination certificates for domestic use (such as access to indoor dining). Ireland ranks second in the EU with a booster uptake rate at 57% of the adult population.
• Passport renewals — Both my U.S. and Irish passports expire this year. I can renew my Irish passport online, although the paperwork for my U.S. one has to be submitted to the embassy via mail because of reduced in-person services being offered at the moment due to COVID-19. The biggest hurtle is getting a photograph printed for the U.S. hard copy application. The photograph size requirements are slightly different — 2″ x 2″ for U.S. and 35mm x 45mm for Ireland — but I should be able to crop/resize a digital photograph as needed. I’ve booked a haircut this weekend so that I can look my best for the photo that will be in my passports for the next 10 years.
• Irish driver’s license — In December, I received a notification from the GoCar on-demand service that my driver’s license on file was no longer valid. I had signed up using my California driver’s license, which is still good for another couple of years, so at first this puzzled me. Then it came to me… under Irish rules, I am only supposed to be permitted to drive under a U.S.-issed driver’s license for up to 12 months after my arrival. GoCar must have been counting the months, since I had signed up for their service in December 2020. I had put off applying for an Irish driver’s license because I wanted to keep my California driver’s license as long as possible, as it was my understanding that I could exchange it for an Irish one, which means having to give up my California license. Low and behold, when I started looking into this more closely over the weekend, I discovered that the U.S. is not on the list of “Recognised states” for driver’s license exchanges. (Interestingly enough, Canada is on the list — probably due to the legacy of reciprocity among Commonwealth countries — but driver’s licenses issued by only certain Canadian provinces can be exchanged. Most notably absent is Quebec… is this a snub against francophones?!) I’m not sure where I got the impression that U.S. was on the list, possibly from the U.S. Embassy’s website or other articles I’ve read. At any rate, this means that I will have to follow the full procedures involved with applying for a driver’s license in Ireland. The first step is to pass a driving theory test, which thankfully I can take online — I was able to schedule that for later in January. Once I have successfully passed the theory test, I can apply for a learner’s permit. Then I will need to take 6 essential driver training courses, and finally, pass an in-person driving test. The entire process will take 6+ months… sigh. In the meantime, I’m hoping I will at least still be able to rent a car using my California driver’s license.
In other news, minimum alcohol pricing has gone into effect in Ireland effective this month. An explanation borrowed from RTÉ: “From January 2022 on, alcohol cannot be sold below 10 cents per gram, regardless of the setting. The minimum price is the same at a fine wine retailer, an off-licence, a high-end food store, discount price supermarket, a bar or a restaurant. One standard drink in Ireland contains 10 grams of alcohol, so the minimum price for one standard drink will now be €1. A 12.5% bottle of wine has 74 grams of alcohol and it cannot now be sold for less than €7.40. A bottle of spirit like vodka or whiskey cannot be sold for less than €21. A point to note here is that the price of a bottle of champagne (which cost more than €7.40 in 2021) or fine whiskey (which cost more than €21 in 2021) remains unchanged.” The law, which was intended to address alcohol abuse, has been largely criticized for its outsize impact on poorer households. I usually go for higher quality spirits anyway, so I don’t think I’ll be affected by the new pricing.
Until next time…
