Results 5,281-5,300 of 15,301 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: We combine the marked register with the electoral register in individual constituencies, and that would be accessed by people in those constituencies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: No. The databases for the purposes of the constituencies-----.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: No. We tightly control and manage who has access to those so it is in the constituencies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: No. We have an online facility that allows candidates and their election teams to access their local electoral registers, whether general or local-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: In those individual constituencies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: No. The Deputy is misunderstanding how the facility works. We have databases in each constituency that connect the marked register with the local electoral register and is accessed by-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: We do not hold that data. It is held with Facebook or whoever the provider is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: It is provided with the consent of the people who participate in those surveys.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: As I said, we had a data protection compliance officer and we have always taken data protection compliance issues very seriously. The Deputy is right and I will be straight with him that it was an oversight not to have a data protection officer, but we now have one, thanks to the recommendation of the Data Protection Commissioner. That person is-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: We are not collecting the data. It is held by Facebook and we do not get access to it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: No, we do not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: No. The only targeting we do on Facebook is using the facilities it has, particularly geography, gender, age, etc.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: No. Keep in mind that, in many cases, we do not get the finer detail of their personal data. If we do get it and it is given consensually, it is to reply back to them in terms of the outcomes of the survey or issues related to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: Not in that way. If we advertise, it is using the standard tools on Facebook, including the targeting tools it provides.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: I fully agree with the Deputy's last point, which is why we do not do any of the things he said. We have-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank the Deputy for the question. I got advice from the party's data protection officer and from other party members in the head office who would advise on all of these things. The letter that was issued to all parties asked for the general secretary or his or her nominee. I am the nominee of our general secretary, which is what this committee asked.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank Senator Boyhan for his questions. With respect to ending the marked register, I am personally agnostic on it. I do not think the party has ever been asked to take a position. It is a useful tool to assist increased voter turnout. Given that in some areas there is declined voter turnout, I would carefully weigh the pros and cons of what the Senator is proposing. It is certainly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: As the Senator is aware, I am not a lawyer, so let me try my best-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am and I will do my best to answer. The legal basis for the information we collect in canvasses and put in the Abú system is section 48 of the Data Protection Act 2018. We believe all of the information on the system is fully compliant with that and, as the Senator is aware, the Data Protection Commissioner is currently engaging extensively with my party. If that office has any...