Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I assure the Deputy that I raised this issue in the Department. One of the first steps I took in discussions with senior management was to raise this issue and I indicated that it would be intolerable if further breaches of security were to arise in the Department's systems. I cannot deal with hypothetical questions but only the facts available to me, nor can I speculate as to whether there have been other cases because I simply do not know the answer. I can only deal with facts. I asked the Department for information and provided the accurate information available in the Department to the House. The security procedures for internal computer systems, which are significant in the Department of Social and Family Affairs, are up to the mark and up to date. All accounts have specific log-on security details.

This issue must be viewed in context. Given the scale of the Department's activities and the number of customers with whom it deals, the number of cases is minuscule. Nevertheless, I do not minimise their importance and the Secretary General, other senior staff in the Department and I take the matter seriously.

See this speech in context