Protect personal ID numbers, urges boss

PRIVATE healthcare agencies should not be given access to personal identity numbers without legislation to protect personal details, the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has warned.

Due to launch his annual report for 2002 today, the commissioner, Joe Meade, said he was concerned allowing private health care access to Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSN) could lead to the release of information to the wrong individuals.

A spokesman for the DPC said that PPSN numbers were introduced as a number unique to the individual, used in transactions between the citizen and the State and to which only they should be privy.