Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
828. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has engaged with the Data Protection Commission regarding the use of ad hoc video recording by businesses for the purpose of protecting staff and defending legal claims; and whether any cross-departmental guidance is being considered. [34521/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraEU data protection legislation including the GDPR, generally applies to people or organisations (as ‘data controllers’ or ‘data processors’) who record video and/or audio information about identifiable persons (‘personal data’).
Images of individuals constitute “personal data” under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The capturing of a person's image and its subsequent use constitutes processing of personal data within the meaning of the GDPR. As with any processing of personal data, the recording of identifiable images of persons must have a legal basis under the data protection legislative frameworks. Individuals have a right to have their personal data processed in a manner that complies with data protection law.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data Protection Commission is independent in the performance of its tasks and the exercise of its powers as a supervisory authority.
The Data Protection Commission has published guidance for data controllers on the use of CCTV which is available at https://www.dataprotection.ie/sites/default/files/uploads/2025-01/CCTV%20Guidance%20Data%20Controllers_November%202023%20EN.pdf The guidance covers various scenarios including where business owners install CCTV for security, theft prevention and health and safety purposes.
