Commissioner warns over using CCTV in schools

SCHOOLS that are unable to justify their use of CCTV will be ordered to remove it, the Data Protection Commissioner has warned.

The commissioner, Billy Hawkes, also said there had been a 250% increase in the number of personal data security breaches. There were 410 recorded in 2010, compared to 119 in 2009.

In his annual report, Mr Hawkes said that 2% of all complaints received by his office related to CCTV footage.

Mr Hawkes said there was a “very high bar” required to justify the use of CCTV in schools and businesses.

“CCTV cameras are not a substitute for supervision and they should not be used for that purpose,” said Mr Hawkes in his annual report for 2010.

He pointed out that his office had ordered a secondary school in Co Kildare to remove CCTV cameras after they were installed in the student toilets without any consultation, which sparked a walkout by pupils.

A primary school in Mayo was instructed to switch off cameras placed both outside and inside the building as they were in breach of Data Protection Acts.

It also emerged that an official at the Department of Social Protection with links to private investigators associated with banks, insurance companies and debt collection firms, is being investigated for suspected unlawful breaches of data protection legislation.

Mr Hawkes also revealed there is an ongoing inquiry into the official’s access of social welfare records.

Mr Hawkes said his office was focussed on gathering sufficient evidence to bring a criminal prosecution in the case, which is also under investigation by the gardaí.

He was also confident that there should be no further difficulties in the ability of Catholic Church representatives to assist their own National Board For Safeguarding Children in a review of the past handling of clerical sex abuse complaints.

The board’s chief executive has complained that its work had been frustrated by the lack of co-operation by bishops, the Conference of Religious in Ireland and the Irish Missionary Union, over concerns of possible breaches of data protection legislation. Mr Hawkes said he was satisfied these issues had been resolved.

Launching his annual report in Dublin, he said access rights to personal data had replaced unsolicited calls and text as the primary subject of complaints received by the public last year.

Although there was a reduction in the number of formal complaints opened for investigation last year, there was an increase in the number of data security breaches notified to him.

He claimed this was largely attributable to a new code of conduct that placed more exacting demands on organisations.

However, he said the economic downturn appeared to have exacerbated the problem of businesses using unsolicited text messages as a form of marketing.