Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

There have been only three cases since 2002. Given the scale of the operations of the Department, the number of customers and the number of operations carried out on a daily or weekly basis, that number is relatively small, although they are serious matters. In the first case referred to by the Deputy, the official has been dismissed. In the second case, the official resigned before disciplinary action could be taken by the Department. In another case, of a less serious nature, the officials involved were cautioned about their conduct and this was noted in their personal files.

As mentioned, the Secretary General has established a high level group within the Department to constantly review all aspects of access controls and security management. The Deputy is probably aware that, under the Data Protection Act, prosecutions fall under the remit of the Data Protection Commissioner. The action taken has been quite severe; people have lost their jobs.

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