The Data Sharing and Governance Act 2019 (the
"Act") passed into law on 4 March 2019
(but has yet to be fully commenced as of the date of this
publication).
Arising from the Act public bodies may share personal data for
certain purposes (set out below), subject to administrative and
technical requirements, such as the execution of an approved data
sharing agreement.
Oversight of these arrangements will be provided by a newly
established Data Governance Board
("Board").
The Act also envisages the creation of an online portal to allow
individuals to exercise their rights in relation to their personal
data and access information on data breaches.
Data sharing principles
Under the current law, public bodies are generally only
permitted to disclose information where there is an obligation
under Irish or EU law that permits or requires data sharing.
Pursuant to the Act, public bodies may share personal data
(including personal data of deceased persons) where the
