Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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502. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has a specific data protection officer in place; if that position is exclusive or if the position holder has other duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26882/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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In response to the Deputy's question, my Department has a specific Data Protection Officer.  As well as holding this position, the officer has other duties.  The Department is a "Data Controller" for the purposes of the Data Protection Acts.  The duties of a Data Controller are discharged within the Department through its procedures of control and systems of assurance and by each member of staff in how they do their work.

My Department issued an internal policy document to all staff in May of this year to support awareness of the key legal concepts and data protection rules.  The Department's internal audit function may undertake reviews of this policy in individual Divisions.

Responsibility for keeping and using personal information on computer or in structured manual files is a matter for all staff in the relevant Divisions and all staff are expected to discharge their duties in compliance with the law.  Managers have a particular duty to ensure that processes involving personal data within their sections are compliant with the Data Protection Acts.  The Chief Operations Officer seeks confirmation from the heads of Divisions annually to ensure that sections are compliant.

The Corporate Support Unit (CSU) of my Department has responsibility for registering the Department with the Office of Data Protection Commissioner each year.  The CSU also has responsibility for assigning any data protection requests received in the Department to the relevant areas and liaison with the Office of Data Protection Commissioner as and when required.