Irish gov't access to all Dutch labor data irresponsible: watchdog

Benefits Authority UWV unjustly gave its Irish colleagues of the Department of Social Protection too broad access to the full database with benefits data. This concludes the Data Protection Authority (CBP) in a report. Since March 20th, 2013 the UWV has given the Irish Ministry access to Suwinet. On this database the Dutch government institutions such as the UWV, Duo, municipalities and the Tax Service, make clear which Dutch citizens get benefits and other financial assistance. The Irish benefits agency has access to see which Irish people who live (or had lived) in the Netherlands receive (or had received) benefits. Ireland having unfiltered access to the entire database is against regulations. According to the CBP, the UWV had to limit such access in the form of filters. That has not happened. The Suwinet database includes private information about, among other things, benefits of more than a million Dutch citizens. The CBP now concludes that the UWV has been irresponsible in giving access to its Irish colleagues. According to the CBP, the Irish department has received more access than was strictly necessary. Three employees within the Irish Ministry have access to Suwinet. From March 20th, 2013 the agreement between the Irish and the UWV has had the temporary "pilot" state. The Irish access to Suwinet under the pilot state was renewed on March 3rd, 2014.