Seanad debates
Thursday, 3 April 2003
Data Protection (Amendment) Bill 2002 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages.
On the question of age to which Senator Tuffy referred, there was a general cut-off point, namely, 18 years of age. If one was under 18, the consent of one's parent or guardian had to be obtained. There were various bodies which made representations about that matter and stated that some people who are actually under the age of 18 are either in college or working and are fully capable of making their own decisions in that regard. It was in response to those representations that we decided that there would not be any hard and fast rule about age. It may be that when people consult about, and discuss, the regulations, they will come up with an age limit. It will be under 18 in any event. It may, alternatively, be dealt with on a case by case basis, depending on the individual.
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