HSE fined €645k over records covered in animal droppings
The Data Protection Commission has fined the Irish Health Service Executive €645,000 after discovering medical records stored in derelict, unsanitary conditions. The investigation revealed systemic neglect, including files damaged by water, mould, and animal droppings.
Why it matters
This highlights critical failures in public sector data governance and the physical security of sensitive patient information.
An investigation by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) into the storage of paper records by the Health Service Executive (HSE) has found incidents of documents contaminated by animal droppings, destroyed by mould, covered in rubble, or rotting due to water damage.
Site inspections by DPC investigators found storage areas in states of "profound disarray and neglect", with records being stored in disused bathrooms, a shipping container in a turf shed, rooms without functioning lighting or heating, as well as derelict buildings.
The DPC has imposed fines of €645,000 on the HSE for the breaches, and has also issued corrective orders.
The investigation was launched in May 2024 after people gained access to two disused psychiatric hospitals and posted videos to social media showing boxes of medical records and patient files that were being stored in the vacant hospitals.
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