Mr. Antóin Ó Lachtnáin:

Senator O'Donnell asked specifically about the legal issues and whether the law is keeping up with change. The next issue that arises is whether practice is keeping up with change. There was an old system of practice – one could call it data governance - namely, the system of manila folders, archives in each Department and a very strict set of rules about who could handle the files, how long they were to have them for and when they had to return them. There was a system to manage how that information was used. Branches, such as Department of Social Protection branches, were run under a particular framework.

We now find that there is no strong framework or digital equivalent of the manila folder. There is no standard unit by which things happen. There needs to be a framework to deal with that. It is not just a legal issue. Rather, it is very much a practical issue in terms of how the public service is administered, costs are managed and the trust of the public is maintained.