Mr. Dale Sunderland:

We are always happy to engage with any Oireachtas committee, including this one. We will be making our observations to the Department. It is really for the Department to make its assessments as to how it takes those observations on board. While we are happy to appear before the committee again to discuss any observations we have, I also suggest that the view of the Department is of even more crucial importance in terms of its responsibilities because that is ultimately where it lies at this stage. We are more than happy to come before the committee.

I should have said that if this legislation is passed, it will grant access to the personal data concerned. From the DPC's perspective, this committee debate and the process of passing the Bill before the Oireachtas will form part of the demonstration to a complainant that the Oireachtas has carefully considered the balance of rights. When we look at something like this, we do not look at it in isolation. We will look at the intention of the Oireachtas should the Bill pass in due course.