For the past number of years, my Department has been actively engaged in data matching with other Government Departments and public bodies for control purposes. To this end, there is an extensive legal structure to support the sharing of data for the purpose of controlling the entitlement and payment of benefits.
The legislative provisions that allow for the specific sharing of data – with the Revenue Commissioners and other Government Departments and agencies - are contained in section 261 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005. In exercising these functions, the Department also operates in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation.
The provision of information directly to other organisations for other purposes is in adherence with strict data protection guidelines. A Data Sharing Agreement is in place between my Department and the Revenue Commissioners to govern the transfer of data between the two organisations, in strict accordance with GDPR.
The nature of the data transferred each year from my Department to the Revenue Commissioners, and the frequency of these transfers, is shown in the following table.
Table 1: Data transferred to Revenue
Category of Personal Data transferred from DEASP
|
Frequency of transfer
|
|
Legislative Basis
|
Taxable social welfare payments
|
Weekly
|
|
Section 126 Taxes Consolidation Act 1997
|
Manual Payments & Inter-Scheme Adjustments (ISA)
|
Weekly (Manual), Nightly Mon-Fri (ISA)
|
|
Section 126 Taxes Consolidation Act 1997
|
Local Property Tax - data to allow deductions at source from certain social welfare payments
|
Weekly
|
|
Part 10 Chapter 2 - Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012
|
Payment of Carers Allowance and Carers Support Grant made by DEASP
|
Annually
|
|
Section 261(1) of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
Rent Supplement - data in respect of payments made by DEASP under this scheme
|
Annually
|
|
Section 888 of the Taxes (Consolidation ) Act 1997
|
Payments of Occupational Injury Benefit/Illness Benefit made by DEASP
|
Weekly
|
|
Section 15 (4) (a) Finance Act, 1992; Article 70(b)(i) of S.I. No. 77/1993 [Income Tax (Employments) Regulations, 1993]
|
SCOPE Section/Requests from Revenue for changes in PRSI class
|
Twice weekly
|
|
Sections 261 and 300 of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
Payment to customers under the Magdalen Commission Scheme made by DEASP
|
Case basis
|
|
Section 261(1) of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
New PPSN and changes to identity data set
|
Daily
|
|
Sections 261(1) and 262 to 270 of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
Update to cases where Public Service Identity details have changed
|
Nightly
|
|
Sections 261(1) and 262 to 270 of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
Update to cases where a PPS Number has been allocated
|
Nightly
|
|
Sections 261(1) and 262 to 270 of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
Details contained in token that is passed to Revenue when a person logs in to Revenue MyAccount via www.MyGovID.ie
|
When a person logs in to Revenue MyAccount
|
|
Sections 261(1) and 262 to 270 of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
Income Tax Family Statistics & Budget Forecast Information
|
Annually
|
|
Sections 261(1) and 262 to 270 of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
Withholding tax returns in respect of professional service provided to the Department.
|
Case basis
|
|
Section 527 Taxes Consolidation Act 1997
|
Client Identity Services Registration
|
Case basis
|
|
Section 8 Immigration Act 2003
|
Case specific enquiries to support work of Joint Investigations Unit
|
Case specific investigation
|
|
S 261(2) of Social Welfare (Consolidation)Act 2005. Section 891 (b) Taxes Consolidation Act
|
Information about certain payments made by traders and other persons carrying on a business activity
|
Case specific investigation
|
|
S 261(2) of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005.
|
Vehicle registration data
|
Case specific investigation
|
|
Section 261(1) of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
Single Customer View
|
Case specific enquiry
|
|
Sections 261(1) and 262 to 270 of Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005
|
I hope that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.