Gardaí accessing PULSE system inappropriately, data protection office says

Certain gardaí have been accessing the garda PULSE system inappropriately to look at information on celebrities, according to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

On foot of an on-the-spot inspection, the data protection commissioner found that the records of two high profile figures were accessed between 50 and 80 times by gardaí.

The investigation found that the number of times the records of three high-profile media personalities and a well known inter-county GAA player were accessed apparently bore no relation to their connection with official police business.

The Data Protection Commissioner has published its annual report for 2012 today showing an increase in the number of complaints to the office.

During 2012, the office opened 1,349 complaints for investigation, exceeding last year's record high number with an increase of 188.