Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together.

My Department is committed to protecting the rights and privacy of individuals in accordance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR, which came into force on 25 May 2018. The Minister for Justice was responsible for the enacting legislation in Ireland and the Data Protection Act 2018 took effect on the same date.

In line with the requirements of GDPR, a data protection officer, DPO, was appointed within my Department in November 2017 to prepare for and oversee the Department's compliance with GDPR. The DPO is assisted in this role by a number of data protection liaison officers currently assigned to various divisions throughout the Department. The DPO continues to ensure that the Department's data protection policies, notices and procedures are in place and are regularly updated. The DPO is also the principal point of contact between the Department and the office of the Data Protection Commission. Since GDPR the Department has not experienced any data breaches. My Department has secure policies and procedures in place which are kept under review to ensure the protection of departmental and Government records.

Given the growing importance of digital matters in both the national and international spheres, the economic division in my Department will continue to contribute to cross-departmental work on digital and related data issues which are relevant to Ireland's interests. The Minister for Justice has overall responsibility for data protection policy and legislation.

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