The Department of Social Protection has said checks carried out by its officials at airports and ports have a "firm legal basis" and are "vital" to combating fraud and saving taxpayers' money.
"The Department of Social Protection is in ongoing engagement with the Data Protection Commission in relation to this matter. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has written to the committee as well as to Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl saying this is a matter of "utmost concern and one that deserves to be dealt with in the Dáil immediately".
RTÉ News understands that the party's spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Louise O'Reilly, has this evening written to the Ceann Comhairle seeking a Dáil debate on the issue. The DPC has asked the Department of Social Protection to provide information about what basis their inspectors had stopped and questioned people at airports, including asking them for personal information and their PPS numbers.
The Deputy Data Protection Commissioner, Graham Doyle, stated that: "The DPC cannot see how this practice of collecting information from all passengers simply on the basis they are travelling to a certain destination conforms with the powers of inspectors under the 2005 Act to act and question a passenger where they have reasonable grounds to believe there has been a contravention."
Source: Law Daily Report (lawdailyreport.net)
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