Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
1788. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if his Department has received complaints relating to breaches of data protection in relation to the setting up or operation of the CervicalCheck tribunal; if so, the number of complaints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18974/21]
View answerMy Department is committed to protecting the rights and privacy of data subjects and adhering to obligations under data protection legislation.
I can confirm that no complaints have been received by my Department about breaches of data protection relating to the setting up or operation of the CervicalCheck Tribunal.
However, a concern was raised that I had been provided with access to the data of women eligible for the CervicalCheck Tribunal by a third party. This concern arose following the issuing of a letter on my behalf by the National Screening Service (NSS) to women who appeared to be eligible for the Tribunal.
The criteria regarding eligibility for the Tribunal relates to a woman's screening history which is information held by the NSS. I do not have access to this information, nor does my Department. Accordingly, I requested that the NSS forward a letter on my behalf to each of the women who appeared to be eligible for the Tribunal based on their screening history, and the NSS agreed to do so.
