Press release
Minister Breen encourages organisations to get ‘GDPR’ ready before 25 May 2018
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
Sunday 28th January is Data Protection Day.
The Minister of State with special responsibility for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen, TD, marked the event this week with keynote addresses at the Delivering Accountability under the General Data Protection Regulation conference hosted by the Data Protection Commissioner’s Office and the Centre for Information Policy Leadership; and the 10th Annual Data Protection Conference , hosted by the Irish Computer Society and the Association of Data Protection Officers at Croke Park.
Speaking at about Ireland's preparations ahead of the entry into force of the General Data Protection Regulation in May, Minister Breen said:
"The Regulation brings significant changes and challenges for us all. The numbers attending conferences this week shows that not only do Irish businesses and organisations know that the Regulation is coming, but that they are being proactive in terms of preparations."
"But it is important not to fear GDPR. Indeed, for Irish companies, being able to demonstrate compliance with the Regulation will offer competitive advantage in domestic, European and International markets."
The Data Protection Commissioner’s Office will play a leading role under GDPR and has undertaken an extensive awareness campaign.
Minister Breen said:
"The Data Protection Commissioner’s awareness campaign is well underway with a dedicated website, http://gdprandyou.ie/ and the recently published guide to help SMEs prepare for GDPR."
"I would encourage all organisations to make use of these resources to ensure they are prepared and, in particular, to share them with their colleagues and networks."