Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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363. To ask the Minister for Health how a person can access their own personal medical records in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45173/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Generally, access to one's health records should be provided routinely and administratively, having regard to privacy, confidentiality and the public interest. An application may be made in writing to the appropriate service or agency providing sufficient information (date of birth, current and previous addresses, dates of contact with the specific services etc.) to help in locating records.

People may also access their medical records under the Freedom of Information Act. They may apply in writing to the public body that holds them and for medical card holders that public body is the Health Service Executive (HSE). Patients of the public system may also be entitled to their medical records under the Data Protection Acts (2003 and 2008) or by 'discovery' in the course of court proceedings.

People who visit their G.P. privately or attend a non-HSE funded or private hospital may access their records under the Data Protection Acts (2003 and 2008) or by court order.