Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 30:

In page 11, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following subsection:"(2) The Bank may provide for an independent adjudication of disputes between a credit information subject and a credit information provider as to the content of the Register. The Bank may rely on such adjudication and amend the Register as recommended by the adjudicator.".

This is a much welcomed Bill. There is very little in it that we dispute. We pointed to such areas on Second Stage. Amendment No. 30 seeks to re-establish something that was in the heads of the Bill. It reads, "The Bank [the Central Bank] may provide for an independent adjudication of disputes between a credit information subject and a credit information provider as to the content of the register. The Bank may rely on such adjudication and amend the Register as recommended by the adjudicator". It would allow for an independent mechanism if the bank so decided, as provided for in the original wording of the heads of the Bill. However, it was removed, which makes the legislation weaker. I do not understand why the Minister of State will not allow for this. For individuals, this could be very serious where there was a dispute between the bank and the individual about the information held.

It is important that there be an independent mechanism to adjudicate in these circumstances and on which the Central Bank can rely in making a determination or recommendation.