Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

To follow up on Deputy Clare Daly's point about the Health Identifiers Act 2014, there is a plan to introduce an identity card. It is said it will not be compulsory. However, one will not be able to get a passport or driving licence without it, so the reality is that it will be compulsory. With the potential of cyberattacks and God knows what else now, and given that so much data seems to get leaked and invaded in one form or another, is it not worrying that information will be going on an identity card and that this may get into the hands of others? For example, if the identity card is introduced full-scale, will we be entitled to know what is put on it? I would also ask the same about passports. I saw my passport being put into a machine at a passport point recently, and the person operating the machine seemed to find what he was reading incredibly interesting. I would love to know myself what is on it. Are we entitled to know what is put on these things or not?