Sinn Féin in breach of two data protection rules - but McDonald defends voter database

The party's leader had earlier confirmed the database was based in Frankfurt in Germany.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the party was "not crossing the line" if it recorded the likelihood of someone voting for Sinn Féin.

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald has admitted the party was in breach of data protection rules on two counts.

Speaking on Thursday night, she said the party has only now appointed a data protection officer and that it has only just carried out a risk assessment on how its database is operated.

She was speaking when questioned about the party's voter database. Ms McDonald had admitted earlier on Thursday that the database is based in Frankfurt, where a multinational named Linode operates it.

It has been based there since 2019 "in anticipation of Brexit", a spokesperson had told the Irish Examiner.

Insisting what the party has done is fully legal, Ms McDonald said that the two breaches identified have now been addressed.

"Well we appointed on foot of our initial correspondence and contact with the data protection Commissioner," she said.

Ms McDonald continued, "This is not a case where information is held you know in a filing cabinet somewhere in Frankfort. This is about warehousing data, and we use the services of an outstanding and trusted company to ensure that the data is absolutely secure and to ensure that nobody who should not have access to that data gains access to that information."

The party is in correspondence with the Data Protection Commissioner after concerns were flagged that certain data may be held on voters without their knowledge.

Sinn Féin has insisted its database, Abú, is the electoral register, which is available in libraries in compliance with GDPR legislation and rejected accusations it is harvesting information from social media.

'Not cross the line'

Earlier, in the Dáil, Ms McDonald said the party was "not crossing the line" if it recorded the likelihood of someone voting for Sinn Féin.

"Every political party, every political candidate, uses the electoral register to know who votes, you know who is registered to vote, and then to come and canvass your vote and to establish in their judgement, the likelihood or otherwise of you voting for them, and that is called special category information and data, it's specifically referenced in the law."

She repeated: "There's nothing nefarious, there's nothing untoward here."

"There's nothing new in this but of course, the new element is that things are stored electronically and there is obviously a more advanced way of doing this."

The matter is not closed with the DPC, as "these things are rarely closed overnight, they've asked a number of questions, we've answered them very comprehensively, they may have more questions, and the process will run.

"I'm satisfied that we are absolutely compliant, I can assure you, there is nothing untoward happening with the information that we get when we're out and about on our canvassing.

"It's a necessary part of our work."

Graham Doyle, a deputy commissioner at the Data Protection Commission confirmed his office “received comprehensive answers to the number of queries” his office had put to Sinn Fein.

Mr Doyle added his office “appreciated the promptness” of the correspondence from the party.

The office will review the answers over the coming days but noted due to the length and detail of the response, he could not state definitively when the matter would be closed or if more correspondence was required.