The Department of Social Protection holds PRSI records in order to ascertain entitlement to various Social Protection schemes.
As a public sector body, the Department very rarely relies on consent to share personal data, but rather on a legal basis as provided for in Recital 43 and 45 of the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).
Section 261 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended, provides the legal basis for the Department to share data with public bodies listed in schedule 5 of the Act, including information concerning PRSI contributions. Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council allows for the sharing of data between the Department and social security organisations in other Member States.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.