Amendment No. 17 relates specifically to section 4(8) of the 1988 Act which deals with access to personal data concerning physical or mental health or data kept for, or obtained in the course of, social work. It provides for the making of regulations restricting access to such data where the Minister considers it desirable in the interests of data subjects to do so. Such restrictions are currently set out in the Data Protection (Access Modification) (Health) Regulations, 1989, and the Data Protection (Access Modification) (Social Work) Regulations, 1989. The effect of these regulations is that health data or data obtained in the course of carrying out social work shall not be supplied to a person if it would be likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health or emotional condition of that person. The amendment broadens the grounds for restricting access to include a public interest ground.