Candidates in the forthcoming General Election have been warned over texting, emailing and cold-calling voters.
About 60 people complained to the Data Protection Commission after the 2007 Dail election and 2009 local elections, the office has revealed.
There were 50 complaints from the 2009 local election, 10 from the 2007 campaign and two following the Donegal South West by-election late last year.
It’s not clear which parties were complained about in the by-election which saw Pearse Doherty take the seat for Sinn Fein.
Politicians had been given voters’ names, addresses, emails and phone numbers, mainly by GAA and rugby clubs, and from friends and work colleagues.
Candidates cannot use these without first getting the permission of those whose details they have.