Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if an audit procedure will be established to review access of personal data by Departmental staff. [25328/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department, because of the nature of it's work, is privileged to hold extensive and detailed personal information about our customers. Most employees of the Department need and have access to this information in order to deliver the Department's services.

The Department is aware of its obligations to ensure that information is collected appropriately, is maintained securely and is used only for the purpose for which it was intended. A specialist Unit within the Department has been established to oversee business information security and has developed and communicated policies and procedures governing the use of systems and data. All complaints of unauthorised access to and/or disclosure of personal data are fully investigated — including access audits.

The Department takes the strongest line in relation to the misuse of customer information by its staff. Any breach of trust with regard to the confidentiality of customer information is treated as serious misconduct under the Disciplinary Code and comes under immediate consideration for dismissal. Finally, the Department's 4,800 staff are regularly reminded of their obligations under data protection and security policies and of the penalties applied to such misuse, including dismissal.