Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is vital that we ensure the highest level of protection for victims and that no information is shared where it should not be. I appreciate the overall intention of the amendment. To clarify, for the avoidance of doubt, the agency is not intended to have a role in seeking the personal information or data of victims of survivors. Neither section 41 nor any other provision of the Bill allows for the seeking of personal data or information in the agency's intended ability to carry out such activities. It would have to be stated in the Bill that it was intended to access personal data if this were the case. Even with this, it would have to comply with GDPR. We do not state this in the Bill. It is not the intention of the particular section. Given the concerns that have been raised I am happy to review it further. I cannot support the proposed amendment today but I am happy to review it and make doubly sure that no provision in the Bill would allow personal information to be requested, misused or put to the Minister or anybody else in a manner that it should not be. It will always have to comply with GDPR.