Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, I have a slight problem. While the DPC is independent, the language the Minister of State is using is pretty much the language we heard in the run up to the financial crash, when people were told that the Financial Regulator and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement were independent agencies and the Oireachtas could not interfere. Ireland is potentially facing a significant reputational risk in terms of the misuse of data and in challenges such as the one brought by Mr. Schrems. The Government does not have its eye sufficiently on this industry. Senior levels of government face a challenge in understanding the importance of these issues. As the Minister of State knows, one of the major challenges that we will face in the coming years is the relationship between the State, the EU and other state actors and the social media giants. I respectfully suggest that the Government needs to examine how the DPC is functioning in dealing with these cases and ensure that Ireland is best positioned to protect the privacy of individual European citizens and the country's reputation.