Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 16 Jun 1993

Vol. 432 No. 4

Written Answers. - Identity Card Proposal.

Pat Rabbitte

Ceist:

46 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the reservations expressed by the Data Protection Commissioner regarding his proposals to introduce a State identity card; the circumstances in which letters were sent by his Department to parents allocating RSI numbers to second level school children; if he had any consultation with the Data Protection Commissioner, teacher unions or parent groups before this letter was issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Pat Upton

Ceist:

65 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present position in relation to the proposal to implement a national identity card system; and the proposals, if any, there are to publish a White Paper on the matter.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 65 together. I would like to make it absolutely clear that my Department is not introducing a State identity card. The card being introduced by my Department is a social services card. The card is primarily a registration card but social welfare customers will be able to use the card for all social welfare services, for example, when contacting a social welfare office, a community welfare office or post offices as they are modernised in connection with claiming unemployment payments. Customers will also be able to use the card for reference purposes in their dealings with the tax office.

As I have already indicated, the social services card is not a national identity card. There will be no photograph on the card and it will not be compulsory to carry it. It is designed for use in connection with social welfare, revenue and related services only. The purpose of the card is to enable the holder to gain easier and quicker access to these services. In the light of this I do not consider that the publication of a White Paper on the matter is called for.

In relation to Question No. 46, the same question was put down and replied to by my predecessor on 14 October 1992. I refer the Deputy to the Official Report, Volume 423, No. 5, column 1164 and following, which sets out the position in full and also elaborates on the background to the social services card.