Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I realise it is important that the maximum amount of information be made available to the appropriate authority, whatever it may be. There may be a multiplicity of such authorities in these circumstances, however. There may be several hospitals or health institutions, for example. Depending on the security system that is in place, that can be successful or widely abused. From past experience, when there is a cyber raid on one of these institutions - it can start in a minor way or a major one – all the information is immediately let loose and the raiders have it all together. Is there a way to ensure the information is restricted? For example, if a person enters a bank account number on foot of a debit card or something like that, there are several verification systems the person must satisfy straightaway. They can do what they like with the information they get but there are several protective systems. I think the systems are there to protect the financial institutions but they will say the systems are there to protect the customer. When a person's bank card suddenly goes blank at an ATM, the information has to be supplied straight away. The person may wonder if he or she put in the right number and may automatically put in a different number because it has been challenged. If it is only a security issue, the person was probably right the first time but then put in a wrong number to correct the supposed mistake in the first instance. That happens all the time to several people I know.

We need to build a system that is going to stand firm and be of help to the general public and the individual, particularly in the context of health issues, which this is supposed to deal with. As the information could be made available to an outsider, I am still uneasy about it. I do not think it will work in the way it is envisaged because if others have the ability to access confidential information by whatever means, legal or illegal, that weakens the system considerably. They will have that ability unless there are firewalls, segmented information blocks or particular codes in place. I will let the Cathaoirleach in on a secret. When I started off in public life-----