Ms Helen Dixon:

When I issued the final report to the Department on 15 August, I also issued a letter of directions, which it has since published. On foot of the findings, I directed the Department, first, to cease processing, in terms of SAFE 2 and the issuing of public services cards, where the processing was for the purposes of an individual engaging in a transaction with a specified body. To translate that into English, the Department was to cease processing where it was for the purposes of anything other than a social welfare benefit claim.

The second action I directed the Department to take was to prepare an implementation plan in respect of findings Nos. 3 to 8, inclusive, which are the findings the Deputy referenced that relate to data retention and transparency. I proposed a period of 49 days to the Department by which it would set out an implementation plan for how it could bring itself into compliance with the findings. It struck me that on the retention issue, and on the order that the Department was to delete the data and the supporting documentation it was retaining, there could be procurement issues for it or unforeseen consequences I would not be able to identify from the distance I was at. I gave the Department time to propose an implementation plan with timelines on which we would engage with it. They were the directions issued to the Department.