Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 49 seeks to include in the proposed amendments that where records of flexible working arrangements are kept as well that the three-year arrangement for the retention of such records that they may be destroyed when employment ceases. It is the same data protection but I have slightly different feelings about amendment No. 49 in that the pattern or outcome of arrangements is something a company may wish to have a record of but other sections of the Bill require quite a considerable amount of information, and the Minister will be aware that we pushed for amendments in relation to that. Currently quite a lot of information in relation to the medical needs, the care needs and so forth of a third party is required. That is the context in which I believe those records may need to be destroyed. However, I do not object to the retention of records of the fact or indeed the outcome in terms of flexible working arrangements. Amendment No. 49 could be nuanced further but amendment No. 48 is very clear in terms of medical records.