Ms Helen Dixon:

There is no specific provision to that effect in the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011. It puts obligations on the telecoms companies to provide metadata about individuals when they receive appropriately authorised requests from certain bodies that are proscribed under that data retention legislation, such as the Revenue Commissioners or An Garda Síochána. There is no specific provision that sets out an obligation for them to notify any individual who is the subject of such a request. However, under general data protection legislation, it is open to any individual to make an access request seeking a copy of his or her personal data from a telecoms company or any other organisation. That may be a means by which it could be pursued in general terms.