Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last year, Digital Rights Ireland commenced legal proceedings against the Irish State, challenging the independence of the commissioner and alleging that the commissioner did not effectively monitor databases containing personal data that had been created by public bodies. Also the fact that the commissioner is integrated into the Department of Justice and Equality and that many of the employees of the office are civil servants may raise questions about the independence of the office. Are the witnesses happy with the level of independence the Data Protection Commissioner is likely to have in future?