Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
1215. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the information from farmers that is compiled by an organisation (details supplied); the role of his Department in the use and protection of this information; if his Department contributes financially to this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52739/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra1216. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the legal basis on which farmers are obliged to provide data to an organisation (details supplied); if individual farmers are entitled to receive all data held by the organisation which relates to the data that they provided without paying a financial contribution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52740/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1215 and 1216 together.
The Department provides calf registration data and slaughter data to the organisation named on the basis of a ‘Permission Form’ signed by the farmer. Such data is used by the named organisation in its National Breeding Programme. Personal data is protected under GDPR legislation and, in this regard, the named organisation signs a Data Protection Agreement with the Department.
The organisation named has advised that any animal data that was provided by the farmer for its cattle breeding programme is available to the farmer. There is no fee payable for the provision of this data to the farmer. The same applies to any personal data stored in the named organisation's database.
This Department provides a grant on an annual basis to the named organisation for operational / research activities.
