Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know the Deputy is not. To suggest that we might have an opt-out or a soft opt-in, there is a risk that people will opt out of the unpopular services or the unpopular interactions with the State. That is the point I made earlier, the point I made on the last occasion we debated the legislation in the House and the point I made during the debate in the Seanad. That is also the point we reflected on with the Attorney General bearing in mind the Social Welfare Consolidation Act. I thank the Deputy for acknowledging this Bill does not do anything with respect to the public services card. I also acknowledge the fact that with respect to the legal basis issue, the Deputy is right in what he said. There are European instruments in place but we have an obligation to put our own instrument in place, having regard to the GDPR. That is what we are doing here. I do not have anything further to add on that.

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