Open Data

The Office of public Works is committed to providing data to the public in line with the requirements of the Open Data Directive(Open Data and re-use of Public Sector information Directive) (EU) 2019/1024, transposed into Irish law by SI 376/2021 SI 376/2021 on July 22nd 2021.

The OPW has operated an Open Data Policy for several decades and continually work to implement the principles of open by default and design into our processes. It is the policy of the OPW to make all non-personal data in our possession and ownership freely available, except in cases where there are specific reasons for not releasing the data.

The Open Data Officer for the OPW is Vincent Hussey ( opendata@opw.ie)

Data are published under a number of licenses including:

• Open data license - creativecommons.org/licence

• Open data non-commercial no derived products (for commercially sensitive data) - creativecommons.org/non-commercial

• Project specific license (for restricted data)

The OPW datasets currently available as Open Data are listed on Ireland's Open Data Portal.

Websites

As a matter of routine, the OPW currently publishes on the internet much of the data that it creates and collects. These websites are listed below:

• OPW home page - opw.ie

• Heritage Ireland - heritageireland.ie

• National Botanic Gardens - botanicgardens.ie

• Iris Oifigiul (published by OPW on behalf of the Government) - irisoifigiuil.ie

• National Archives - nationalarchives.ie

• Real-time Hydrometric Data – waterlevel.ie

• OPW’s Flood Data Portal - floodinfo.ie

• Flood Studies Update Portal - opw.hydronet.com

• Plan Prepare Protect (flooding) - flooding.ie

• Open Topographic Data Viewer (hosted by the Geological Survey Ireland)

Data requests for Flood Risk related data should be submitted to flood_data@opw.ie. See floodinfo.ie/contact for details and an application form that must be used when requesting the data.

Other data requests may be made using the opendata@opw.ie email address, providing details of the data or documents requested. The OPW maintains several libraries, students and researchers are welcome to contact the OPW library at library@opw.ie for details on library holdings.

Note that in line with the Open Data Directive, all data requests are ordinarily dealt with within 20 working days but an additional 20 working days may be required for extensive or complex requests.

To appeal a Flood Risk related data refusal, in the first instance, please write to flood_data@opw.ie.

To appeal other data request refusals, in the first instance, please write to opendata@opw.ie.

All appeals must clearly outline the OPW case reference number and the grounds of the appeal. The appeal will be forwarded to the relevant section within the OPW for a supplementary review.

A decision to refuse the requested data may also be appealed to the Office of the Information Commissioner.

For more information in relation to the Open Data Directive, please visit Ireland's Open Data Directive page.

Please note that separate OPW procedures apply for requests under other legislation as follows:

• Freedom of Information (FOI)

• Access to information on the Environment (AIE)