Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 21 November 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection

Public Services Card: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am suggesting that the Deputy might query exactly what legal advice was sought. The Minister definitely did not receive any legal advice on the legal status or basis for requiring people when using mygov.ieto have a PSC.

I truly believe that challenging the Data Protection Commissioner is okay. I am not sure if the Deputy was here when the House passed the legislation relating to the establishment of the Data Protection Commission and its responsibilities. When we passed that legislation, as is standard practice with any judicial or semi-judicial authority, we made a provision that if somebody received a ruling that he or she did not agree with, there would be a legal right to challenge that ruling and defend himself or herself. That is all we are doing. Legislation was enacted or amended in 1998, 2005, 2011, 2013 and 2015 and we believe this vindicates and defends the Government's provision of our services in an efficient and fast manner.

The only reason the PSC was established was to allow our citizens - the people we are here to serve - get access to services and interact with the State in the most efficient manner possible. If the Deputy is suggesting we should not defend successive Governments' attempts to make it easier for the citizens of the State to do business with the State, I am not sure what is the basis of his argument.

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