Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am conflicted because the Seanad took a view on this and voted against the Government to include this impact assessment process with good reason. I take the point that Deputy O'Callaghan raised about decisions being made by the Oireachtas. There is no provision here that ensures that the Data Protection Commissioner would take a decision. Any decision could only be made by a Minister and now perhaps requires prospective sanction by the Dáil and Seanad. Any decision that is made by elected representatives has to be based on gathering the information available, evaluating it, and then taking the decision. The expert in these matters will be the Data Protection Commissioner. The commissioner's say on what additional exceptions and special categories might be required to be processed is necessary information, even with the prospective approval of the Dáil. We should have that and should be able to evaluate it. I will not support the Minister's amendment and will press my own.