Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2026
421. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health if it is envisioned that in the development of an electronic healthcare system for Ireland that provision will made that will allow for anonymised data to be used to support clinical and other research.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8989/26]
View answerEstablishing electronic healthcare systems in Ireland provide the opportunity to capture data in digital format, that is more accurate, accessible and comprehensive than what was even remotely possible in the past, using traditional, paper based patient charts. Once data is captured in this format then the opportunity to create anonymised versions of this data for secondary uses such as clinical research, innovation and more effective management of the health service itself, all become possible. Maintaining patient trust in the use of health data is vitally important and the EU European Health Date Space (EHDS) Regulation, GDPR and the Health Information Bill that is now being considered by the Seanad, are all relevant and helpful in this context.
