Irish Water gave bank details to landlords

The Data Protection Commissioner has confirmed Irish Water inadvertently disclosed the bank account details to third parties of some people who had registered with the utility.

Around a dozen tenants have had their bank account details sent to their landlords in error.

Paul Keogan was one of the customers affected by the data breach. He said he was annoyed at Irish Water for the error, but was “livid” at having not spoken to the company about the issue, despite making three calls and sending an email and a tweet.

“My landlord called me on Sunday to say he had received a direct debit confirmation from Irish Water in his name, with a bank account that he suspected was mine,” said Mr Keogan.

Mr Keogan spoke with his landlord on Monday and confirmed that the account details were his, and while the letter was addressed to his landlord, it pertained to the house in which Mr Keogan was a tenant.

“I tried on three occasions to speak to Irish Water on Monday afternoon but could not get through,” he said.

“I tweeted in exacerbation. I also sent them an email through their site.

“I have not received any reply or any contact from Irish Water.”

Mr Keogan said he has contacted the Data Protection Commissioner and has informed them that Irish Water have not been in touch with him to clarify the situation.

“I am very annoyed that my details have been passed on — however I am livid that Irish Water have not been in touch with me at all,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Data Protection Commissioner confirmed Irish Water had reported personal data breaches.

It said that Irish Water must contact those affected to inform them of the breach, and to advise them of steps they can take to protect themselves.

Irish Water must also ensure that the letters are retrieved from those who received the information in error and that it puts in place procedures to prevent the breach recurring.

“I can confirm that Irish Water reported a matter to this Office under the Personal Data Security Breach Code of Practice and it was dealt with as a data security breach.

“The report concerned the inadvertent disclosure of bank details in respect of a number of individuals,” the spokesperson said.

Irish Water issued a brief statement to say that the company was aware of this situation and was investigating it.