Written answers
Wednesday, 3 June 2020
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Data Protection
Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
1135. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the firewall will continue with regard to information sharing with the Department of Justice and Equality on social welfare payments for migrant workers (details supplied). [9363/20]
Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
My Department does not have a data sharing arrangement with the Department of Justice and Equality for migrant workers accessing supplementary welfare payments including rent supplement or the pandemic unemployment payment.
The Department’s data sharing arrangements comply with both National and EU Data Protection law to ensure that safeguards are in place to protect data subjects’ rights. The Department’s Privacy Policy is available on our website at
As stated on my department's website, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has no plans to share any data received as part of an immigrant’s application for a COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment with the Garda National Immigration Bureau or the Department of Justice and Equality.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
No comments