Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I join others in warmly welcoming the release of Ibrahim Halawa and thank the consular section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the embassy staff in Cairo. I was very happy to be part of the delegation earlier this year and I am glad that this has come to a happy conclusion.

More than two years ago, I published the general scheme of the data sharing and governance Bill, the purpose of which was to streamline the number of occasions on which any individual citizen had to give the same personal information. It was also intended to enshrine in law best practice in data sharing to address some of the concerns of the public that have surfaced again recently. The last time I looked at the legislative agenda it stated that pre-legislative scrutiny had commenced. In fact, pre-legislative scrutiny was finished in July. When will we see the legislation here in the House?

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