Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Department is moving to biometric data in terms of facial imaging. Will the Minister outline whether the Department will be seeking permission for the approximately 100,000 people whose photographs it has? Will they be used to test the new system? Is the Department migrating those into the new system? Does that have implications in terms of data protection legislation? In August 2017, the Minister tweeted that the Department does not collect facial recognition data. It collects photographs. Is it intended to migrate those photographs to this new system? What is this tender really about in the longer term? If I was going to tender for this, I would specifically try to tick off the things for which the Minister is looking. What is she looking for? If I was going to tender for this, what would I be tendering for and what will the Department use it for? The Minister said it will be held in a secure site. Will it be shared with any other Department? Can we have confidence that this would be the case into the future?

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