ID card has no legal basis, says expert

A leading data protection expert has questioned the legal basis for the public services card, arguing no piece of legislation specifically mandates its introduction or use.

Simon McGarr, a solicitor and data protection consultant, said references by the Department of Social Protection to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act of 2005 as the law underpinning the public services card project did not adequately provide for the move.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has come under fire after admitting the card, while not legally mandatory, is now compulsory for applicants for, and recipients of, welfare payments.