Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am assured that permission is required from an inspector, a superintendent, chief superintendent or a higher officer in An Garda Síochána to seek the information the Deputy refers to. No sergeant or similar member of the Garda can seek the information. It must be an officer from inspector level up who seeks it. This measure does not apply to all members of An Garda Síochána.

To be helpful to Senator Higgins regarding who can have access, the soul purpose of the Garda, the Criminal Assets Bureau and those types of organisations getting access to the register of PPS numbers in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is merely, only and exclusively to validate the PPS number, the date of birth and the identity of the person involved. They have no authority to receive any information that they can share beyond that. They have no authority to share information with any other body. The parent Department holding it is the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Other people have access to the register to check those specific three details. They also have no access to obtain that information back out and share it again.