Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Bill provides that the individual health identifier, IHI, can be used for relevant purposes. These are the primary and secondary purposes set out in the Bill. Primary purpose means the present, past or future provision of health services to an individual. Secondary purpose relates to the wider health service matters, such as health service management and patient safety. This amendment proposes that there be a specific reference in the definition of secondary purpose to the "identification or prevention of a threat to public health" to ensure that this area is expressly captured in the Bill. Subject to legal advice, the Government may propose other amendments to the definition of "secondary purpose" in due course in the passage of this legislation.