Data Protection Commissioner Annual Report 2012

The Report emphasises the growing significance of data protection in relation to the sharing of data in the public sector. It stresses the importance for insurers and other entities controlling personal data to clearly specify the purposes for holding such data on the Data Protection Commissioner's Register.

The following is a summary of the Report's key findings:

(a) Personal Data Sharing

The Commissioner acknowledged the benefits of data sharing for the effective delivery of public services but noted that all sharing of data must be done in a way that respects the rights of the individuals involved. Companies involved in data sharing must ensure that they have a clear justification for sharing data, make this reason known to all individuals having their data accessed by third parties and have effective security controls in place to dispose of such data when it is no longer needed.