Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 2 November 2021

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth

General Scheme of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Dale Sunderland:

I thank the Deputy. First, the intention, as we understand it, is that the full right of access would be respected. Any of those other matters which we have discussed already, such as the information session, are for the purpose of trying to provide safeguards in ensuring this balancing of rights takes place in a way that allows for the fullest of access to the personal data concerned. We obviously have yet to see in greater detail what the Department proposes as a further development of head 40 and the restriction of rights. Our understanding at this stage is that, with regard to those further restrictions of data subject rights, it is not intended to restrict the right of access but rather to maybe restrict the rights of others to ensure that the right of access can proceed and is fully facilitated. As I said, we need to see further details from the Department in that respect. As it stands, head 40 is intended to facilitate the right of access to the information encompassed by the Bill rather than to restrict it further.