25 Sep 2019, 16:26
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will meet tomorrow, Thursday, with The Data Protection Commission(DPC). Helen Dixon, Commissioner for Data Protection will attend the meeting.
Officials from the Department of Justice and Equality will also attend for a meeting which will also include an examination of the Financial Statements for The Data Protection Commission for the year ending, December 31, 2018
The meeting will commence with the Committee continuing to examine items of correspondence received in recent weeks from various government departments, and state bodies, along with consideration of the Draft Committee work programme.
The Data Protection Commission (DPC) is the national independent authority responsible for upholding the fundamental right of individuals in the EU to have their personal data protected.
A new Data Protection Commission (DPC) was established on 25 May, 2018, and replaced the former Office of the Data Protection Commission (ODPC).
The PAC will review the accounts of the former ODPC for the period 1 January to 24 May 2018 and the financial statements of the new DPC for the period 25 May to 31 December 2018.
The combined expenditure of the two bodies in 2018 was €8.3 million, the bulk of which was funded by the Oireachtas. Expenditure included over €1 million in legal costs and settlements.
Thursday’s PAC meeting will examine the two sets of financial statements covering 2018, and the statutory obligations, adequacy of governance arrangements, and details of the internal financial controls regime in place.
Chairman of the PAC, Seán Fleming TD, said: “The Committee will also be keen to examine Data Protection issues surrounding the Public Services Card in the context of the significant State spending on the project, estimated at €60 million.”
The meeting will start at 9am in Committee room 3, click here to view.