From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
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Today (14 December), Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, and Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys announced that the first batch of Data Sharing Agreements developed under the Data Sharing and Governance Act 2019 (DSGA) have now fully completed the new governance process.
The governance process brings full transparency to the sharing of personal information across the Public Service. It uses the four pillars of the Data Sharing Framework to do this:
The OECD have complimented the approach saying it demonstrates Ireland to be one of the most forward-thinking of its membership countries with regard to transparency of data usage. This was reflected in the 2022 OECD Trust Survey when Ireland was the highest scoring country for public trust in their government's use of their data.
Minister McGrath said:
“Building and maintaining this level of trust and transparency with citizens is crucial to the success of so many government services; I would like to thank the pilot bodies involved in the initial data sharing agreements and I look forward to a more consistent approach to managing data across the Public Service that builds upon the Data Sharing Framework.”
Minister Humphreys said:
“The completion of the First Data Sharing Agreements is very welcome and is an important moment for transparency in the public sector in Ireland. I am particularly pleased that the Department of Justice has led the way on the publication of the first Data Sharing Agreements. Setting these processes down in writing is not just good practice but is necessary for meeting our data protection obligations and maintaining public confidence in data sharing between public bodies.”
The pilot bodies, the Department of Justice, Department of Foreign Affairs and Revenue have invited the public to review the agreements and provide their feedback. This allows the public to understand who is sharing their personal information, when it will be shared and how it is safeguarded. The Data Governance Board has added a further layer of transparent governance to the process by reviewing the data sharing agreements and agreeing to publish all recommendations.
The OGCIO note that before the end of the year 13 agreements will complete the process, some of which include arrangements that cover:
In 2023 the OGCIO expects to guide over 20 more agreements through the governance process. The data sharing agreements and recommendations will be published by the Data Governance Board on their website.