Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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279. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when his Department officials last met with the Data Protection Commissioner to ensure the highest standards are being met by the Department, and all agencies under its remit, in terms of compliance with data protection legislation. [14447/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is committed to protecting the rights and privacy of all its data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018. My Department has a Data Protection Policy in place and a Data Protection Officer, as required by Article 37 of the GDPR. Any processing of personal data is performed in compliance with the principles relating to processing under the GDPR.

Data Protection training is mandatory for all staff across my Department, thereby ensuring the highest standards are both met and maintained, and the privacy rights of individuals safeguarded in relation to the collection and processing of their personal data. My officials actively engage with the Data Protection Commission, as necessary, on an ongoing case-by-case basis, with the most recent such engagement taking place in January of this year.

There are 4 agencies under the aegis of my Department: Pobal, the Charities Regulator, Water Safety Ireland, and the Western Development Commission. In respect of these bodies, information relating to data protection is a matter for the bodies concerned. They are all independent legal entities responsible for managing their own corporate affairs in compliance with their statutory obligations, including compliance with Data Protection Acts and the GDPR.