Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2013
494. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he intends to use the influence afforded to it by the EU Presidency to seek to amend the proposals set out last year by the EU Justice Commissioner to the effect of lessening the sanctions that will be imposed on companies and persons for breaches of EU data protection directives. [2544/13]
View answer495. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is planning or has any plans to seek to amend the penalties for breaches of EU Data Protection Law as set out in proposals last year by the EU Justice Commissioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2545/13]
View answer496. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he fully supports the proposals set out in 2012 by the EU Justice Commissioner for new EU data protection laws and if he specifically supports the proposals which will place fines on companies which are in breach of data protection legislation; and his views on whether such fines as set out in the proposals are appropriate. [2546/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 494 to 496, inclusive, together.
Ireland shares the European Commission’s view that stronger data protection safeguards are required in order fully to exploit the potential of the digital economy. We believe that higher standards will serve to increase consumer trust and confidence in the digital environment and help to promote innovation, increase economic growth and deliver jobs for Europe. Advancing the Commission's proposals for reform of the data protection regime is, therefore, one of the Irish Presidency’s priorities in the justice field.
I am pleased to say that aspects of the Commission's reform package, including the proposed imposition of sanctions for breaches of data protection standards, were discussed by the justice ministers of Member States during last week's Informal Justice and Home Affairs Council which I hosted here in Dublin. These discussions indicate that while there is broad support in principle for the imposition of financial penalties in the case of serious and repeated infringements of data protection rules, the supervisory authorities of Member States should have a margin of discretion and a wider range of powers available to them, including the issuing of warnings, reprimands and directives that corrective action be taken, to deal with less serious breaches. I expect that the future work of the relevant Working Group of experts in relation to the proposed sanctions regime will be guided by these discussions.
