Home tax payers’ data will be safe, Hogan promises

RED-FACED ministers were forced to promise worried householders their private data would be safe after the controversial homes tax got off to an embarrassing beginning.

The launch of the website where householders register for the €100 levy saw some people charged twice, while Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes expressed strong concern the Government planned to use personal information stored by ESB to target non-payers.

Mr Hawkes said the move was a “disturbing development”, as Environment Minister Phil Hogan announced the holding of crunch talks with the commissioner on the issue next week.

However, the minister refused to abandon plans to use the ESB information, saying: “We need to track down people that don’t pay, in some way, We have to find a mechanism in conjunction with the Data Protection Commissioner to ensure that we actually trace those people.”

The row came as Mr Hogan had to defend the website — on which 13,000 people have already registered — from complaints about its privacy standards.

Mr Hogan insisted the privacy issues, which centred on the lack of a cookies disclaimer statement on the site, had now been sorted out.

Socialist Dublin MEP and anti-charge campaigner Paul Murphy has officially complained to the commissioner about the use of cookies — which track information — on the site.

Concern was also expressed that PPS numbers needed to be entered on the site despite the tax being on a property and not an individual.

Mr Murphy said no information from bodies such as ESB should be given to the Government without the consent of the individuals concerned.

Mr Hogan said cyber-protection experts have been engaged to make sure the new household charge website remains secure from hacking sabotage.

Mr Hogan admitted about 26 people had so far been charged twice for the levy and would be reimbursed, but he dismissed critics accusing the Government of playing fast and loose with private information.

“There is going to be a certain amount of mischief-making by politicians like Paul Murphy, and they have a particular agenda,” said Mr Hogan.

He claimed opponents of the charge just wanted people to pay more income tax instead.

Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton defended using ESB information to track non-payers after April 1.

“There is legislation that gives the Government power to access utilities where necessary. The working out of that will done with Billy Hawkes and the Data Protection Office, but the Government has to have a system where taxes can be properly enforced,” he said.