Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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380. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the policy paper regarding options to seal the breach of the data protection legislation regarding Guthrie cards retained without consent and for the future retention, storage and potential secondary uses of the cards; the timeframe for the publication of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17678/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Following a complaint made to the Data Protection Commissioner in 2009, the State was found to be in breach of both EU and national data protection legislation in relation to the retention of newborn screening cards without consent.

A policy was developed to review and address the legal and ethical requirements arising for the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme. This came into operation in July 2011. Specifically this policy requires parental consent for the primary use of screening (a baby) for 8 rare conditions. The policy also allows the card to be retained for a specific period of 10 years. Any secondary use (including research) requires explicit parental consent for that secondary use.

A decision in relation to the archive of blood spot screening cards retained without consent (1984-June 2011) is well advanced and I expect this to be finalized before the end of June 2019.