Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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139. To ask the Minister for Finance if there has been communications between Irish Water and the Revenue Commissioners over the past 14 months; if so, if he will provide information as to the nature of such communications; in particular, if the names and addresses of private individuals have been passed to Irish Water by the Revenue Commissioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17460/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that section 26 of the Water Services Act 2013 provides that Irish Water may request information from relevant persons, including the Revenue Commissioners, in order to allow it perform its functions. 

Section 851A Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 enshrines the concept of taxpayer confidentiality in the law. However, subsection 8 permits a Revenue officer to disclose taxpayer information, where this is expressly authorised by another enactment.

I am also advised that an electronic exchange of name and address data with Irish Water took place on 7 August 2014, with some additional records provided on 23 January and 17 February this year.

I am further advised by the Revenue Commissioners that these data exchanges are covered by a formal Data Exchange Agreement signed between the Revenue Commissioners and Irish Water and they are in conformance with Data Protection legislation.