Last review date: 13 January 2025
No.
Last review date: 13 January 2025
☒ Obligation for public sector organizations to share or make accessible non-personal data
Ireland's Freedom of Information regime is governed by the Freedom of Information Act 2014. This legislation grants members of the public the right to access information held by public bodies, subject to certain exemptions. Under the Act the public has the right to request information held by public bodies, including government departments, agencies, and other designated bodies. However, there are certain exemptions that allow public bodies to withhold information, such as information that could harm national security, commercial interests, or personal privacy.
As noted in the EU Chapter, the EU’s Data Governance Act took effect in September 2023, and key substantive provisions apply from 24 December 2024. The Data Governance Act has been supplemented in Ireland by S.I. No. 272/2024 - European Union (European Data Governance Act) Regulations 2024 and S.I. No. 734/2024 - European Union (Data Governance Act) (No. 2) Regulations 2024. The Data Governance Act provides a framework for public sector data sharing, and limits the ability of public sector bodies to enter into exclusive agreements for the re-use of in-scope data.
The EU’s Data Act is not yet applicable, but when it becomes applicable on 12 September 2025 it will impact on the accessibility of data generated by connected or IoT devices.