Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is some merit in Deputy Ó Laoghaire's proposal. We know that the Data Protection Commissioner has opened a section 10 investigation into the public services card and the single customer view, which is one of the biggest data sharing projects in the history of this State. As I understood it, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is also investigating the use of CCTV cameras, which we mentioned on Committee Stage, such as the proposed scheme in Limerick which is funded under the community-based CCTV scheme of the Department of Justice and Equality. It is important that these investigations are allowed to be completed and they should not be interrupted or halted. Perhaps the Minister's amendments allow this but I did not hear that clearly the first time it was discussed. During the Seanad debates, the Minister was not totally convincing in explaining to Senator Higgins that such investigations as are already under way would continue following the transition to the new data protection commission, which the Bill provides for. If the Minister's earlier amendments cover this point, that is grand. If not, perhaps I will ask Deputy Ó Laoghaire to put his amendment back on the paper.

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