Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ruane for her questions. On socioeconomic status, the programme for Government did not make an absolute commitment to legislate on this issue but makes a commitment to examine it. I am strongly in favour of doing this but we need to bring forward the evidence. The Senator spoke about research done in this area in the past. This will add to the body of evidence supporting this change. Research commissioned by the equality section of my Department earlier in the year is expected shortly. My plan is to use that research to start a wider public consultation on what this measure would look like and, following on from that, to bring proposals to Government to amend the legislation. I feel very strongly that this needs to be done but we need up-to-date research so that I can make the argument for it convincingly. That is what I am proceeding to do.

On the application of GDPR, the first port of call for the Department is the Data Protection Commission, DPC, because it is the arbiter of the appropriateness of how any State agency applies GDPR. The idea of the Department engaging with independent experts is one I am completely open to. A number of names were mentioned when we engaged with the Adoption Rights Alliance with regard to people who could assist and provide advice and I am fully open to that suggestion. It is one we are examining. We will engage with the Office of the Attorney General on the application of GDPR and the Data Protection Commission. I am also open to bringing in expert advice to give some guidance to the Department.

My understanding of the optional protocol referred to by Senator Ruane is that it does not apply in the case of direct provision centres because they are not considered to be places of detention. I can come back to the Senator on that particular point. As to the involvement of any specific organisation in the running of direct provision centres, I will also revert to the Senator on that point.