Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to introduce a system of biometric ID cards for persons claiming social welfare; if they are to be introduced, the security arrangements in place to protect the information contained on the cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34533/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department has developed, in conjunction with a number of other Government Departments, the specifications for a Public Services Card (PSC) under the Standard Authentication Framework Environment (SAFE) programme. The aim is to develop a card that acts as a key for access to public services in general.

The phased introduction of the Public Services Card started last month. The registration process is currently being piloted in a number of local offices in the Department, including Tullamore, Sligo and King's Inn in Dublin. Roll out of the card will be done as securely and speedily as possible but it will take a number of years to complete. The initial focus will be on roll out to Department clients of working age. The card will store photographs but it is not planned to store other biometric information such as fingerprints or eye retinas.

The front of the card shows a person's name, photograph and signature, along with the card expiry date. The back of the card shows the person's PPS Number and a card number. It also has a magnetic stripe for compatibility with existing Social Services Cards. The card will electronically hold a person's name, PPS Number, date of birth, place of birth, sex, nationality, all former surnames, all former surnames of their mother, a photograph and a signature. The principle is that the card only holds identifying data and that any other sensitive data relating to a particular use would be held on a secure server in the relevant agency.

The Public Services Card has multiple protection mechanisms, all of the highest current international standards, to prevent and detect tampering with the physical card and its contents. The Deputy will appreciate that it would be unwise to elaborate on these security mechanisms. In addition, a PSC and a card reader will communicate with each other by cryptographic means. Only card readers specifically programmed to accept PSCs can undertake this functionality.