Ireland

Data watchdog writes to Sinn Féin about Abú voter database

The Republic's Data Protection Commission has written to Sinn Féin.: Niall Carson/PA Wire.
The Republic's Data Protection Commission has written to Sinn Féin.: Niall Carson/PA Wire. The Republic's Data Protection Commission has written to Sinn Féin.: Niall Carson/PA Wire.

THE Republic's Data Protection Commission has written to Sinn Féin seeking more information about reports it has compiled a database containing details about millions of voters.

The letter contains a series of questions about the party's internal Abú system, including an explanation of the legal basis for the processing of the data.

"We can confirm that we have received correspondence from the Office of the Data Protection Commission," a Sinn Féin spokesperson told RTÉ.

"We look forward to engaging with them."

It is understood that at this stage the DPC's enquiries are exploratory and aimed at establishing facts.

Media reports about the system have prompted calls from Fine Gael for Sinn Féin to disclose more information, including where the data is stored and who has access to it.

Sinn Féin sources said the database is comprised of the electoral register and that it is hosted in the EU, and not in the US as had been claimed in some reports.

Welcoming the DPC's bid to secure more information, Fine Gael Senator John Cummins claimed Sinn Féin had a "litany of unanswered questions" about the database.