Significant Concerns About Irish Data Protection

Significant concerns about irish data protection

The Data Protection Commissioner says he has significant concerns about how some State organisations deal with people's information. Billy Hawkes says there is a sloppiness and carelessness in the safeguarding and sharing of data between public sector bodies. He says the concerns relate in particular to the gardai, the Department of Social Protection and the Health Service Executive. Billy Hawkes - who is retiring this year - says the quality of data protection in the public sector needs to improve on a system wide basis. "As I leave the job I am not satisfied that the State can assert to its residents and citizens that it does actually have sufficient measures in place, and that it is taking its responsibility sufficiently seriously" he said.