Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely. Again, one suspects that this is symptomatic. It goes back to the tracker mortgage issue where complaints where made to the FSO, where somebody sought records and was unable to obtain them from Permanent TSB. This weakened that individual's case and indeed rights.

The bank was clearly in breach of the legislation in not retaining fully the records as per its obligations. The witnesses have acknowledged that in one case, but I would suggest, as with the one case I am referring to, that there is probably more than one. The bank has acknowledged that it will gladly accept correspondence from me relating to that, if I understand the witnesses correctly. I put it to the witnesses that the data protection law is the one protection the customer has when it hits the fan. If institutions such as Permanent TSB do not protect customers' rights in that respect, it is a serious failing.