Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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469. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason the Garda Síochána code of practice for data protection was not laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in accordance with section 13(3) of the Data Protection Act 1988 which would enable the code to have force of law; if he will lay the existing code, or any future updated code, before the Houses to enhance and strengthen data protection practices within An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16828/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am advised that the Garda Síochána Data Protection Code of Practice, which was approved by the Data Protection Commissioner under section 13 (2)(a) of the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003, was launched in November 2007. The code was the result of intensive work by the Garda Commissioner and his staff working in close cooperation with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

The Data Protection Acts do not require the laying of the code before the Houses of the Oireachtas and clearly the Minister at the time did not do so. This does not diminish the application of the Data Protection legislation itself. The code clearly has a role in providing clarity and understanding of Data Protection to members of An Garda Síochána.