Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has misled the House twice in my opinion. She mentioned this policy was instigated by Fianna Fáil. Is she aware the legislation we introduced is the legislation which the Data Protection Commissioner found does not provide any legal underpinning for extending the public services card to other bodies?

Does the Minister accept the open conflict between the Government and the Data Protection Commissioner sends out a bad signal to people looking in from outside the country? It sends a signal that the Data Protection Commissioner is not particularly well got with the Government and it sends a signal that if people locate in this country and the Data Protection Commissioner rules against them, they can enlist the Government to help them out.

Does it remain the Government's policy to extend the public services card on a mandatory basis to anybody who is trying to access essential public services? Will there be no choice and will it be fully mandatory? Is that the Government's policy? Can we have a clear and unequivocal statement on that?

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