Written Answers. - Data Protection Regulations.
Bernard Allen
Question:
313
Mr. Allen
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
further to Parliamentary Question No. 474 of 26 January 2000, the contents of his Department's registration with the Data Protection Commissioner regarding personal health data in view of the fact that the Annual Report of the Data Protection Commissioner 1998 stated that data sharing and data mining techniques, which are used to build up details of personal profiles, challenge the very heart of the privacy concept; and whether the measures in place by his Department protect personal health data from being abused.
[3447/00]
An extract of the contents of the Department's registration with the Data Protection Commissioner is set out in the following appendix. The bulk of the material covered refers to administrative data only such as representations and information supplied on parliamentary questions or freedom of information requests. No personal health data are collected or stored or shared directly by this Department and no personal health data are stored in a fashion which would be amenable to the types of processing referred to by the Deputy. The hospital in-patient inquiry system is a statistical abstract of each in-patient episode of care and does not contain any personal details. Access to the Department's information systems is strictly controlled and every effort is made to protect all personal data in the Department.
REGISTER OF DATA CONTROLLERS (who are not also Data Processors) REF: 0479/A
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DATA CONTROLLERMary McLoughlin, Principal OfficerDepartment of Health and Children, Hawkins HouseHawkins StreetDublin 2.
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CONTACT PERSONMary McLoughlin, Principal OfficerAs business address
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PURPOSEDepartment administration, monitoring of healthagencies/services/etc funded by the Department, controlof health services, administration of the General Register Office (GRO) and Civil Registration System. As forother data, included under administration.
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Date First Entered inRegistration Continued19 October
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DESCRIPTION OF DATA
Re Administration: personnel, travel and subsistence, payroll, payments, phone call logging, office automation and word processing, index of registered files, membership of boards, general hospital profiles.
Re HIPE: Information used for epidemiological and health services research and for the planning and management of hospital services, including identity of consultants in charge of each case.
Re Voluntary Hospitals Superannuation Scheme: member details.
Re GRO Index: Information relating to vital events i.e. Births, Marriages and Deaths.
Re: Representations sent to Minister(s) by or on behalf of individuals, organisation, other public representatives.
Re: Parliamentary Questions System. Details supplied with some parliamentary questions may hold personal information.
Re: FOI Freedom of Information Tracking Database.
Re: Childcare database: this database contains the names of children who were ‘boarded out' in institutions in various parts of the State from 1948 to 1975. This database is maintained to facilitate discovery where persons are engaged in legal action against the State.
DISCLOSURES
Health Boards, hospitals and other health institutions and agencies. Other civil service departments, various public service organisations as appropriate, public representatives as appropriate, other organisations and persons either directly or indirectly funded by the Department.
Re: Representations and some Parliamentary Questions – personal details may be supplied to health agencies who have the necessary information to furnish relevant replies. Information may also be shared with Ministers constituency office regarding representation system.
Re: HIPE (1) secretary/managers of hospitals where treatment is conducted, (2) ESRI statistical/HIPE staff. In all other cases the written consent of the consultant is required before information may be released, which includes the consultant identified.
OTHER REFERENCES IN REGISTER: NONE
