Action urged on data protection

FINE GAEL’s Richard Bruton demanded Government action on the preservation of confidential data following the recent laptop thefts. He said the details of 75,000 individual personal bank accounts had been stolen because a laptop had not been encrypted.

“There are legal weaknesses here,” he added.

Mr Bruton said that the Government should consider enacting a Fine Gael Private Members’ Bill on the issue, which Simon Coveney had published last year.

Leas Cheann Comhairle Brendan Howlin said that no Government legislation had been promised on the matter and it was up to Mr Coveney to utilise Private Members’ time to have it debated.

Mr Bruton said the Government had indicated it was supportive of legislative measures in that area.

“In the light of the risk to 75,000 people that has been exposed, the Tánaiste should be examining this seriously,” he added.

Mr Coveney said that Bord Gáis and the Health Service Executive (HSE) had been responsible for “the sloppy treatment of sensitive personal data”.

When Fine Gael published its Bill last October, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern had set up a data protection review group and promised it would result in a legislative response to cover data disclosure, he added.

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan said that the promised legislation would be finalised fairly soon and would be based on an EU directive.