Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 736: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will support the case of a person (details supplied). [29533/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that, insofar as the issues raised by the person concerned relate to Data Protection matters, the position is that the Data Protection Act provides that personal data obtained from an individual "shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they were collected or are further processed", "shall not be further processed in a manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes" and "shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purposes or those purposes". It is part of the Data Protection Commissioner's function under the Act to investigate complaints that these requirements are being breached and, as necessary, to use the powers provided under the Act to bring about compliance.

As the Deputy will appreciate, however, the Data Protection Commissioner is independent in the exercise of his functions in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act, and accordingly, I am unable to intervene in individual matters.