Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The implications of what we have seen happen in the area of data protection in the past 12 months will make our job as public representatives very difficult. I refer not only to what has happened with the public services card but also to more far reaching issues which have not yet come to light. The simplest things we deal with in day to day inquiries involve people's sensitive information. It is one thing every public representative in this House has, whether it be names, PPS numbers, dates of birth, personal details and other information people living in their houses would not have, but we have it as part of our work. We need it. In our interactions with the Department of Employment and Social Protection, for instance - it could also be the Department of Health - we must discuss people's very private business. Every one of us is responsible in the way we hold and store that information. However, I can foresee difficulties that we do not yet realise and it is all due to data protection. It is the big elephant in the room or the monster that is out of control. It will be problematic and cause major difficulties. It will disrupt us in trying to do our job properly to help people and communities. I can see it being a big problem for us in the future. How we deal with it will be a problem for all of us.

See this speech in context