The chief civil servant in charge of the controversial Public Services Card project has said that his department would not be challenging findings of illegality against the card unless it was “absolutely sure that a challenge was not only appropriate but necessary”. The commissioner also found that Social Protection must delete the historic data it holds on 3.2 million Irish citizens. The secretary-general said he thought it “unfortunate that many people believe” his department is breaking the law in challenging the DPC’s findings. Asked how much that challenge would cost, Mr McKeon said “in truth I don’t know”. “The Public Services Card I think delivers a lot of benefits to administration and customer service,” he said, adding that it would be”reckless and foolhardy not to challenge those findings” on the basis of the advice received from the Attorney General.

Source: Irish Examiner November 08, 2019 13:03 UTC