Visitor books are being restored at tourist sites around the country.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) originally removed the books amid fears they could breach GDPR data protection rules.

Kilmainham Gaol and Dublin Castle were among the locations affected.

The OPW has now reversed its decision – however it has come under fire for taking data protection rules too far.

Labour Councillor Joe Costello, a member of the visitor committee at Kilmainham Gaol, said officials should asked for advice before removing the books in the first place.

“Of course it should never have happened,” he said. “It was sort of ludicrous that they went ahead and removed the books and then decided at that stage to consult the Data Commissioner only to decide there was no need at all and they had made a mistake.”

He said he is delighted the books are now back.

“I wish they had done the opposite and checked with the Data Protection Commissioner first and checked with the board of visitors and they would have been assured that they did not need to take such drastic action,” he said.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force across the EU in May last year.

The regulations are aimed at giving citizens more control over their personal data and enforcing higher standards of protection on companies.