The Big Data Taskforce was established as part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2013 “Big Data” Disruptive Reform. The Taskforce held its inaugural meeting on 10th September 2013 and met on three subsequent occasions up to the end of 2013.
As part of the Taskforce’s fact-finding role, it engaged with the Government Departments and agencies managing significant data holdings and met with indigenous and multinational enterprises identified by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland as being amongst the most active in the area of Big Data and Data Analytics in Ireland. The Taskforce also engaged directly with representatives of the key research centres in Ireland active in the area of Big Data and Data Analytics.
From its engagement with stakeholders, the Taskforce engaged has identified examples of significant initiatives where public and private sector actors are already working together on large-scale data-intensive projects including, for example, the SmartBay initiative supported by the Marine Institute, the IBM-Dublin City Council collaboration on Smarter Cities, the Irish Spatial Data Exchange and the collaboration between Accenture and SAS and the Department of Social Protection.
In addition to these initiatives and projects, a large amount of information relating to private sector activities in the area of Big Data and Data Analytics has been shared with the Taskforce on a confidential basis.
The Taskforce was tasked under the Action Plan for Jobs in identifying at least two pilot initiatives whereby data analytics could be employed to address specific challenges delivering economic impact and/or improved public services. As set out in the Third Progress Report of the Action Plan for Jobs 2013, the Taskforce has already endorsed in principle two specific initiatives. The first initiative relates to the application of Big Data in an agricultural setting – the projects within this initiative will explore the commercial impact of Big Data solutions aimed at optimising farming production. The second initiative relates to the use of data analytics to support policy-making in respect of labour market activation in Ireland.
Additional projects may emerge during 2014 on foot of the Taskforce’s engagement with stakeholders and the Taskforce will consider if it is appropriate to endorse these as pilot initiatives in addition to the pilot initiatives already identified above.
Government support for the pilot projects may come in the form of access to data or other public facilities that are required and/or it may come in the form of direct financial support. No proposals for public funding have yet been received in respect of the two pilot initiatives that have been endorsed in principle. Should requests for funding arise, it is envisaged that these will be channelled through the appropriate Government/agency programmes as appropriate and will be subject to the award criteria and conditions of these programmes.
