Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 November 2019
596. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 221 to 223, inclusive, of 13 November 2019, the number of times in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019 data relating to free travel passes was shared with Irish Rail. [48053/19]
View answer597. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 221,222 and 223 of 13 November 2019, the number of times in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019 data relating to expired free travel passes was shared with Irish Rail. [48054/19]
View answer639. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of times Irish Rail has contacted her Department seeking information whether personally identifying or not in relation to individual travel passes; and the number of times her Department has given such information whether personally identifying or not in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019. [47755/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 596, 597 and 639 together.
Periodically, the Revenue Protection and Prosecutions Manager in Irish Rail submits a written request to my Department to ascertain whether a customer’s (details provided by Irish Rail) entitlement to Free Travel is valid or revoked and if revoked, from what date. These written requests are made under section 132 of the Railway Safety Act 2005, as amended and section 41(b) of the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended. In such cases, my Department confirms whether the Free travel entitlement is valid, or if the entitlement was revoked confirms the date of revocation and the date the person concerned was notified of the cessation of their entitlement.
To date in 2019, 33 such requests were received by my Department; in 2018, 35 such requests were received; and, in 2017, 32 requests were received. I am advised that there is no record of the number of such requests (if any) received for 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
