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Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020

Tuesday, 8 December 2020

Questions (314)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

314. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence the number of disclosure requests that have been made to service providers by the Defence Forces in relation to section 6 of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011; and the number of disclosure requests per year since 2011 by service branch that made such requests. [41236/20]

View answer

Written answers

The Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 governs the retention of certain communications data and access to such data by the Defence Forces and certain other statutory bodies. 

Under the provision of Section 6(2) of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 an officer of the Permanent Defence Force not below the rank of Colonel may make a disclosure request to a service provider where the data is required for the purpose of safeguarding the security of the State.

I am informed by the military aithorities that during the period 2011 to 2019, the Defence Forces made applications for data requests as follows:

Year 

 Number of Defence Forces applications for data

 2011

 93

 2012

 174

 2013

 181

 2014

 250

 2015

 209

 2016

 307

 2017

 427

 2018

 288

 2019

 245

The figures for 2020 will be prepared at year end and are therefore not yet available.

All applications were made in respect to the relevant provisions of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 and all applications submitted pertained to matters relating to the security of the State.

 

 

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