asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the number of citizens about whom information is retained on computer in his Department; and if information so recorded is used by his Department for any other purpose.
Written Answers. - Computer Information.
113.
No information is held on computer in this Department other than that concerning the salaries of staff.
179.
asked the Minister for Communications the number of citizens about whom information is retained on computer in his Department; and if information so recorded is used by his Department for any other purpose.
A computer mailing list, which includes names and addresses of 140 individuals resident in Ireland, is maintained by the meteorological service and used solely for the distribution of meteorological service publications and a list of 331 names and addresses of persons who supply rainfall information is maintained also on computer by the meteorological service and used only for the purposes of the information collection scheme. Apart from the above the only personal information on computer is in staff records.
216.
asked the Minister for Finance the number of citizens about whom information is retained on computer in his Department; and if information so recorded is used by his Department for any other purpose.
Information is contained on revenue computer files in relation to approximately 1,500,000 citizens. Information regarding the employments and reckonable earnings of employees is supplied to the Department of Social Welfare for the purpose of administering the PRSI scheme. This is done in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981.
The Revenue Commissioners identify for the health boards those farmers from whom they are collecting health contributions. This avoids the simultaneous pursuit of those farmers by the health boards and the Revenue Commissioners. The Revenue Commissioners also provide information on farm income to the health boards in accordance with the provisions of section 14, Health Contributions Act, 1979.
In addition, my Department are responsible for the salaries of some 2,800 civil servants and the pensions of about 22,400 former public servants who are paid on a computer system. The Office of Public Works similarly pay approximately 3,500 staff. The information held on computer files in this connection is not used for any other purpose.
268.
asked the Minister for Health the number of citizens about whom information is retained on computer in his Department; and if information so recorded is used by his Department for any other purpose.
There is no information in respect of citizens retained on computer in the Department of Health.
301.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of citizens about whom information is retained on computer in his Department; and if information so recorded is used by his Department for any other purpose.
The information on the Department's computers concerning individual persons relates to their social insurance records or to claims they have made for particular entitlements.
The Department's computerised records system holds information regarding the social insurance records of approximately 1.2 million insured persons. The information relates to their pay-related social insurance contributions and comes from the Revenue Commissioners with the exception of some data coming from the Department's own sources such as details of previous claims for benefit and records of credited contributions. The processing of claims for disability and related benefits and treatment benefits is computerised and information relevant to these claims from insured persons is also held on the Department's computers.
Apart from this information relevant to insured persons as such approximately 1,000 rent subsidy cases and some 3,000 unemployment assistance cases are computerised. Details of some 450,000 claims for children's allowances are in process of being transferred to a computerised payment system and a similar exercise is underway in respect of some 360,000 pensioners which is expected to be completed within the next year.
The information on the Department's computers relating to individuals is used for the operation of the Department's schemes and services. No access by any outside body or agency is given to the Department's computer files. Information of a statistical nature is compiled for research and development purposes and may, from time to time be supplied to other agencies for this purpose. This information does not enable particulars relating to individual persons to be identified.
373.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of citizens about whom information is retained on computer in his Department; and if information so recorded is used by his Department for any other purpose.
The number is 200,000 approximately. Certain schemes and activities of my Department are computerised in the interests of efficient administration. Information retained on computer is not used for any other purpose.