Madam, – With widespread outsourcing of State services to the voluntary/private sector now taking place, questions need to be asked by all with a responsibility to care for some of our most vulnerable citizens (“Watchdog questions State use of private data”, April 9th).

We have been working with people who are homeless over a 30-year period, and find that people are now experiencing pressure to divulge the most personal details of their lives when accessing services. This includes unnecessary, invasive and intrusive questioning and being asked for their permission for the storage and sharing of that information.

This should be of concern to all of us. Many of the people we meet do not have the choice to withhold information and for some, informed consent is just a myth.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that everyone is entitled to dignity and respect, something we should not forget in these challenging times for all. – Yours, etc,

ALICE LEAHY,

Director Co-Founder,
Trust,
Bride Road,
Dublin 8.