Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 589: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Department owned computer desktops or laptops or other data devices, such as blackberries and memory keys, reported lost, missing or stolen from his Department in each year from 2002 to 2007; the number of these that were later recovered or found; the number still missing; if any sensitive or private data was compromised; the measures in place within his Department to secure such portable or at risk data devices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1516/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs has had two incidents of lost, missing or stolen computer equipment in the period 2002 to 2007.

In July 2003, 25 new computers were stolen from temporary offices in Brussels. In June 2004, an individual, who had been working on contract in the Department of Foreign Affairs, received a four year suspended sentence for the theft of eight laptop computers. None of these computers or laptops has been recovered by the Department. In both incidents, the equipment was new and unused and no sensitive or private data was compromised.

The Department has issued guidelines to all officers on the appropriate use of IT equipment, highlighting important issues relating to the Data Protection Act. The Department encrypts data on PCs and laptops not located within its premises and has a project under way to encrypt all data on memory sticks and other portable data devices.