Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have increased the funding for the Data Protection Commission five-fold since 2015. A significant portion of that increase has been directed towards additional staff, with the commission moving from a staff of 110 in 2018 to 150 to date. Recruitment to fill many of those posts is still under way. It is a competitive environment but I would expect that an additional 30 posts will be filled in the first quarter of 2021.

I mentioned earlier in my speech that €12.8 million is for staffing costs, with a further €2 million being spent on legal expenses. Additional funding of almost €5 million is provided for expansion of ICT and other types of measures that are required. We are conscious of our commitment to deliver an effective data regulation and protection of data privacy rights of EU citizens, acknowledging that we have a large number of multinationals and corporations in Ireland. The Data Protection Commissioner, DPC, and the organisation recently submitted a request for further engagement with me, my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, DPER, to try to put in place a fit-for-purpose management and organisation structure not only for the next year but out to 2025. We are working with the commissioner and her office in terms of their proposals. Their submission for appropriate sanction and approval by DPER will have to be examined in due course. Work is ongoing through engagement with the Data Protection Commission on what additional resources it needs. Staffing is a huge part of that need. I am confident that the funding that has been allocated, in particular the significant increase over the last three years, will provide for that additional need.

In terms of the overall work, as I mentioned the DPC has submitted a request to engage further to map out how we can have a structure in place that will bring us out to 2025. On the ICT budget, that is included as part of the increase for this year.