Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the MEPs for their input. It probably would have been better if we had this input when preparing the report because it gives a difference angle on it. Our report identifies problems but the problems appear to be with legislation rather than with the Data Protection Commission itself. Having looked back over committee correspondence, while I could be wrong, there does not appear to have been any correspondence from the Data Protection Commissioner setting out her views on the report. It has been over a year since it was published. If there are issues with the legislation, surely the DPC could be flag the issues that need to be addressed and we could, in turn, deal with them. We will not deal with them with this Government but we could flag and raise them in the Parliament, which would be important. This needs to be teased out further.

It is interesting to hear the differences between different data protection commissioners in different countries. That is important. Obviously, more work needs to be done. I am glad to hear our report will be discussed in the Dáil in the coming weeks. That may be part of the MEPs' mission in coming before the committee, which I welcome. We still have work to do but hopefully we can work together and ensure we come out with the right decision.