Mattie McGrath Questions Data Confidence After Minister's Error
Mattie McGrath challenged data sharing and GDPR confidence, citing an incident in which a Minister of State inadvertently misquoted Deputy Michael Collins and potential links between the Minister's family and the information. He said a letter has gone to the recipient and that he has read it and "read the blacks," raising doubts about data correction and breach handling.
Allegation of misquotation
He said a Minister inadvertently quoted a colleague, Deputy Michael Collins, "as being something he is not," and described that misquote as a serious matter that undermines trust in official information.
Family connection concern
He referred to a "very, very, very close connection" between the Minister's family and the information Deputy Collins mentioned and noted that a letter regarding the matter "has gone to you, I understand. I have got the letter and I have read it and I have read the blacks."
Data sharing and GDPR confidence
He questioned how the public can have confidence in data sharing, data correction and GDPR processes when such errors occur. He singled out the Minister of State's handling of breaches and said her defence—that "she has done it before"—is not acceptable.
Remarks on the accusation
He insisted that "it is not a crime to be accused of being an organic farmer" while also arguing the factual question of how someone would know such a detail, and stressed that the accusation about Deputy Collins was incorrect.
Tone and restraint
He repeatedly declined to escalate certain remarks in the chamber, saying "No, please, I am not going to go there" and closing his points with "Please. Thank you very much," while maintaining a critical stance on data practices.
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Deputy McGrath? Just in relation to data and data sharing and GDPR and everything else, this is quite interesting. Clowncola, you were at another meeting earlier when we had the Minister of State bringing in breach of data. No, please, I am not going to go there, but I want to say how can we have confidence when a Minister – and I am not going to make a mistake – inadvertently quoted a colleague of mine, Deputy Michael Collins, as being something he is not. Also, when there was a very, very, very close connection with the Minister's family to the information that Deputy Collins said, no, it is quite serious, and a letter has gone to you, I understand. I have got the letter and I have read it and I have read the blacks. It is not a crime to be accused of being an organic farmer. No, but it is not. There is a valid question as to how somebody would know somebody was. Yes, but there is also a valid question as to the fact that he is not. He was past tense. I am not, but I am saying how can we have confidence in data sharing and data correction when the Minister, not this Minister, but the Minister of State, she is doing it and brushed out things like that. Her defence was that she has done it before. That is not a defence at all. Yes, please, let us not go there. Please. Thank you very much.
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