Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 November 2017
266. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if public and semi-State bodies are obliged to comply with the general data protection regulation which will pass into EU law in May 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48818/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe position is that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will come into force in May 2018, applies to both the public and private sectors. However, while an EU Regulation of this kind is normally a directly-applicable legal instrument and does not therefore require any national law to give it effect, the GDPR contains a number of provisions which allow Member States a limited margin of flexibility. An accompanying Directive, which sets data protection standards for the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of prevention, investigation, detection and prosecution of criminal offences and the execution of criminal penalties will also enter into force in May 2018.
The Government published the General Scheme of the Data Protection Bill in May last. The Bill will give further effect to the GDPR in areas in which flexibility is allowed, transpose the law enforcement Directive into national law and replace the Data Protection Commissioner with a Data Protection Commission.
The Bill is currently being drafted and will be published during the current Dail term with a view to enactment in Spring 2018.
