John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 693: To ask the Minister for Transport the procedures in place to ensure that personal data stored by his Department is secure. [30137/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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All personal data in electronic format is protected using industry best practices. Access to such data is restricted to those officers who have a business requirement to use it. All staff, contractors and consultants to my Department are subject to the Official Secrets Acts and are required to sign appropriate confidentiality agreements and usage policies.

All data replicated from the Department's network to laptops is automatically encrypted. Mechanisms are in place to remotely delete data from any laptop stolen from the Department which connects to the Internet. Procedures are also in place to ensure that all personal data being accessed by teleworkers is not downloaded but is retained securely on Department servers.

Where personal data needs to be, for business reasons, transferred to third parties (for example, transferring salary details to staff bank accounts), this is carried out in a fully secured electronic manner. In the case of the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) large data volumes to third parties are transferred through secure encrypted channels.

My Department regularly reviews its data security in the light of changing circumstances and needs. A review of electronic data security policy is being carried out at present and its recommendations will be implemented after this review is complete.

Personal data on physical files is secured by restricted access to buildings and is locked away in filing cabinets to which only appropriate staff members have access.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 694: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of laptop computers, data storage devices and USB memory sticks that have been stolen or lost from his Department in 2007 and to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30152/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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There have been ten instances of laptop computers, data storage devices and memory sticks that have been reported lost, missing or stolen from my Department in 2007 to date in 2008. These instances included six laptops and four Blackberries. Of these, four laptops and two Blackberries were subsequently recovered. Two laptops and two Blackberries are still missing.

I have been assured by my officials that, to the best of their knowledge, there was no private or sensitive data compromised as a result of these events.

My Department ensures that data security measures are regularly reviewed in the light of changing circumstances and that any appropriate measures identified are implemented in order to prevent risk to data. All Departmental laptops are issued to staff with password protection enabled. Since October 2007, all data replicated from my Department's network to laptops is automatically encrypted. Mechanisms are in place to remotely immobilise and wipe any information on any portable data devices lost, missing or stolen from my Department.