Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. The GDPR will come into force on 25 May 2018. It replaces the existing data protection framework under the EU data protection directive. Article 24 of the GDPR requires controllers, that is, the higher education institutions, to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure and to be able to demonstrate that processing of personal data is performed in accordance with the GDPR. The GDPR provides by law for greater accountability, transparency and security in respect of processing personal data. The Minister for Justice and Equality is currently progressing the Data Protection Bill 2017 and this Bill will provide for the implementation of new EU data protection rules which will come into force in May 2018.

These rules will apply to all organisations, public and private, large and small. The present Bill is not the requisite legislative vehicle, in my view, to seek to oversee compliance with such legislation. Therefore, I do not accept this amendment.