Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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The European data protection supervisor argues that a new impact assessment should have been performed. It also states that the necessity and proportionality of access to Eurodac for law enforcement has not been demonstrated. Does the Minister believe it is okay that an impact assessment was not carried out? Has the important matter of proportionality been demonstrated to our Government? It is a classic argument. On one hand we are told that we must deal with terrorists, which causes understandable fear in the public. Asylum seekers would often come from conflict zones or places with organised terrorist networks.

That fear can legitimately be put to the public. However, there is also the argument from human rights and civil rights organisations as a counterbalance, that they have committed no offence of which we are aware and that of necessity they have had to give their fingerprints, which is supposed to be used for communication purposes between various states. Can the Government demonstrate to the committee that the necessity and proportionality are there? Second, why was a new impact assessment not carried out before we take what is a very serious step?