Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020
289. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to exercise his power under section 8 (11)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 to introduce regulations concerning management and maintenance of records held by freedom of information bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25378/20]
View answerThe Government has recently put in place a number of detailed measures to improve the way that public service data is used, managed and governed including the Data Sharing and Governance Act and Public Service Data Strategy.
The Data Sharing and Governance Act is an enabling piece of legislation which will facilitate significant improvements to data management and data sharing, in the Public Service. To complement this, the Public Service Data Strategy outlines a broad based plan for data. When put into practice, together, they will create a strong and supportive data ecosystem for the Public Service.
A Data Governance Board will be established under this legislation. The Board will play a central role in advising my Department on the operation of the legislation, including advice on the introduction of data management standards and guidelines, applicable to all public service bodies.
In addition, as part of the Public Service ICT Strategy, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer has introduced eDocs, a Document and Records Management, as part of a suite of common business applications offered under the Build to Share (BTS) Applications programme. eDocs is a Document and Records Management system designed to help improve filing and records management practices across the Civil Service.
There are no plans at present for regulations to be made under section 8(11)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act. This would be a very significant undertaking at this point in time, given its potential implications for some 600 FOI Bodies throughout the civil and public sector. However, as outlined above, work remains ongoing in relation to record management and the better use of data, in conjunction with key stakeholders, under a variety of strategies and statutory schemes. Consideration will be given to what further steps may be appropriate as these initiatives progress, and in particular once the Data Governance Board has been established and embedded in its role.
