Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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608. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the legal basis that enables her Department to share information such as mobile phone numbers with third party companies such as Turas Nua; if permission to do so needs to be sought before passing on those details; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32677/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Turas Nua is one of two companies under the JobPath contracts to provide, as part of the State's Public Employment Service, employment assistance and advice to the long-term unemployed in order to assist them secure full-time paid employment.

Externally contracted employment services have formed part of my Department's service provision since these services transferred from FÁS.  In delivering these services the Department shares data under strict conditions with these service providers.  The Department does not distinguish between providers such as JobPath or other providers when ensuring strict data protection provisions are respected.  Persons in receipt of a jobseeker's payment are obliged to engage with the Department's activation services including externally contracted employment services. 

The Department's employment service providers are contractually obliged to provide a service on behalf of the Department.  A necessary aspect of this service is the exchange of information between the Department and any contracted employment service provider such as JobPath.  This may include contact details such as name, address and phone number. This process is compliant with all relevant Data Protection legislation, including the GDPR provisions.