Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In this strategic communications, spin-driven Government the Minister would be well advised to rethink what is happening reputationally to the public services card. It is extremely important to people who are using it, particularly our pensioners for their travelling needs, and others who are using it for a range of services. It is particularly important in terms of the €20 billion that is disbursed annually through the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

An awful mess has been made of the proposal around the driving licence. The Minister has not explained to people what the advantage of doing this is, and he has not set out what the advantage could potentially be for people. Instead he has raised fears at a time when people are very alert to what companies such as Cambridge Analytica have been doing with their private data. It is on the record here, but given the emphasis this Government places on communications, the Minister has not communicated adequately to ordinary people that their data are secure, safe and private. They give their data to the Government for the purpose of Government transactions with them, and they are not to be used in any other context.

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