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

The general data protection regulation, the GDPR, will come into force on 25 May 2018, and will replace the existing data protection framework under the EU data protection directive. Article 24 of the GDPR requires controllers, namely, higher education institutions, to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure and to be able to demonstrate that the 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. It will be the law of the land. I take on board the points raised by the Senator on elearning.

The Minister for Justice and Equality is currently progressing the Data Protection Bill 2018 which 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 or private, large or small. I do not think the Technological Universities Bill 2015 is the requisite legislative vehicle to seek to oversee compliance with such legislation. It will be the law of the land.

I do not propose to accept the amendment No. 24.