Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is right, several eminent people, none less so than the Data Protection Commissioner, legal experts and normal citizens have expressed concerns arising from statements made over the summer. The Data Protection Commissioner has asked for several things to be clarified. Staff from my office met with her and we are in the process of clarifying those issues. I do take on board that if there is ambiguity about why the card is issued, where the legislation came from, what public services it will entitle someone to access, what other Departments the legislation allows my Department share that information with, we are very willing to run the publicity campaign we ran some years ago again. I certainly did not help the situation during the summer with my description of the card as a requirement to access public services but it is a requirement to access public services in the Department Employment Affairs and Social Protection. It has become a requirement for other Departments. I will certainly address the 49 questions the Data Protection Commissioner sent to our office. That process started with a meeting between the Secretary General and the commissioner and we will respond in writing and publish the statement then.

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