IMPACT has raised concerns with the Data Protection Commissioner about an alleged breach of data protection rules at the National Ambulance Service control centre in Ballyshannon, County Donegal.

Richy Carrothers, IMPACT official for the North West, has written to the commissioner about the potential breach, which involves the recording of all staff telephone calls at the centre. He said that the calls would have been recorded without the knowledge of the staff involved, and that the recordings are not confined to emergency calls. He has advised that the union may seek the intervention of the commissioner on the issue.

In a letter to HSE management Richy raised a number of questions about the alleged data breach. He said that staff had previously been assured that the practice had ceased in 2010.

He asked management to confirm that calls had been recorded, who had authorised the recordings and who knew about the continuing practice. He asked if the recordings had been reviewed since 2010, by whom and under what criteria. Richy also demanded to know if the HSE has complied with Data Protection legislation and if the employer had informed the Data Commissioner about the practice.

“This is a very serious revelation. I have sought an urgent meeting with management, and I have insisted that our questions are responded to in writing ahead of any meeting,” he said.