The Government has delivered on its proposed “data protection roadmap” by allocating €3.65million in funding to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC). This is double the €1.89million in funding allocated to the ODPC in 2014.
Increased funding in the area of data protection was widely expected due to the additional €15million in expenditure allocated to the Department of An Taoiseach in Budget 2015 and upcoming reforms in the area of data on a European level as previously outlined.
The main objectives of increasing funds allocated to the area of data protection are:
- To enable the ODPC to employ more expert staff
- To enable the ODPC to establish a Dublin office while maintaining its Portarlington base
- To increase awareness in private and public sectors including Governmental Departments, multi-nationals and SMEs of their obligations under data protection legislation
- To increase the strength of Ireland’s regulatory and enforcement regime for data protection particularly in light of the ever-growing digital economy
With Ireland providing a base to some of the world’s leading technology companies it is hoped that this funding will reinforce Ireland’s reputation internationally as a leader in the area of data protection.
Contributed by Leo Moore, Niamh Gavin.
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