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THE DATA PROTECTION Commission’s pre-Budget submission pleaded with the government for increased staff and a ‘fit-for-purpose’ Dublin office.
The watchdog complained this week that it was only granted a budget increase of less than a third of what it requested, despite the burden being placed on it by the demands of policing GDPR complaints from around the world.
The DPC received at 11% increase in annual funding to €16.9 million but the watchdog had asked for a total allocation of €21.2 million.
It said this week that it was inadequate given the DPC’s position “at the front line of global data protection regulation”.
The watchdog is currently involved in a legal wrangle with the government over its report into the Public Services Card.
In the pre-Budget submission, released to Noteworthy and TheJournal.ie following a Freedom of Information request, the watchdog can be seen urgently seeking the funds to increase its staffing levels.
The DPC says it had hoped to have 18o staff on the books by the end of this year but that it will have just 148 due to the “highly competitive landscape for specialist skills”.
The watchdog is targeting staffing levels of 224, arguing it is currently way below where it should be.
On current terms, the DPC says it is seventh the largest EU data protection authority in budgetary terms, eighth in terms of staffing.
“It is arguable the DPC should be the largest given the unique role of Ireland and the DPC in lead-supervising for the EU the world’s largest tech platforms under the GDPR,” the watchdog argues.
The scale of the demands being placed on the DPC is evident in the submission where it outlines that the number of complaints it is now handling has “more than doubled since 2017″.
“Given the role of the DPC as a Lead Supervisory Authority, the office carries a disproportionate burden of the EU’s collective effort to regulate the data processing activities of global tech giants which are active in the European market,” the DPC argues.
Accomodation
The accommodation facilities for the DPC has previously proven to be somewhat of an embarrassment for Ireland after international media highlighted its small office location beside a convenience store in Portarlington.
Currently, the DPC still maintains that office but also has two offices in Dublin at temporary locations.
In its pre-Budget submission, the DPC says it is “critical” that a permanent base is found in the capital, suggesting that the current facilities are not up to the expectations of major tech firms
“The need for a fit-for-purpose permanent city-centre Dublin head office, reflecting international stakeholders’ expectations of the DPC and which is capable of housing all current and future Dublin based staff, has been a critical requirement for some time,” the DPC states.
The urgency of a new premises arises in particular from the constant national and international media focus and negative commentary on the standard and location of the DPC’s offices, as well as from the significant costs of maintaining temporary office locations as the DPC continues to expand in size and the operational impact for the DPC of operating across multiple locations.
The DPC acknowledges that there is a “highly constrained Dublin office property rental market” but that a “potentially suitable permanent premises” has been identified .
It says the OPW is currently evaluating the premises “with a view to entering into lease negotiations”.
“It is anticipated that the property concerned will be available for occupation by late 2020,” the DPC states.
- With reporting by Ken Foxe of Noteworthy
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Don’t trust you Shane either
@Rory Mackle: Shane thanks for telling us something we didn’t know already.
@Joe Johnson: hilarious
He has been the Minister for Sport for over three years. This all came to a head on his watch, he needs to go himself.
@John Fahy: how does that work??. Im no shane ross fan but they fact that his watch are sorting it finally is a good thing id say. Tis the previous “watches” who turned a blind eye were the problem champ
@Patrick Fitzgerald: unpopular, but true
@Patrick Fitzgerald: he was on record last November saying how great a job John Delaney is doing? Yes previous ministers have a lot to answer. But just listen to Richie Sadler on second captains, he says anytime in the past when he’s been writing a piece on the FAI legal teams had to ok it because JD and the FAI were known to challenge anything slightly spurious. It’s been obvious for years something was up, none of us knew the extent of which but any sports minister over the last 15 years is complicit for failing this
@James Moran: no choice at this point, a bit like introducing rent freezes when they’re unaffordable
@Patrick Fitzgerald: it’s only being dealt with now because it’s blown up in their faces. Previous ministers can’t resign because they’re already gone but this one should go now
@Patrick Fitzgerald: Don’t like Ross either but on this I would agree.
Funny the govt dont trust fai with money but the entire population of ireland dont trust the govt with money
@Karl Charlie: The Irish people should probably ask themselves why they’re electing untrustworthy candidates then.
@Karl Charlie: the entire population ?
@Karl Charlie: I trust the government a lot more than the alternatives. Fianna fail must never govern again.
@Misty Eyed Mutton: Fianna Fáil have been governing by abstaining. Their fingerprints are all over the Fine Gael mess.
@Misty Eyed Mutton: Fine Gael: a government of the people!
Irish tories.
@Misty Eyed Mutton: so you trust a party that has destroyed this country over a party that hasnt been given a chance to show what they can do yet? brilliant were in for another ffg govt next year
Pot… Kettle!
Fran Rooney on radio said he left FAI with €12mil in bank. So where did the €67mil go? We need to get an answer….
@Aire Dezamba: Think some of that is a residual loan from the stadium build.
@Fred the Muss: Delaney has to go to a mate’s wedding in Ayia Napa didn’t he. Couldn’t let him go with a 90k dollar suit and a 50k dollar Rolex could we? He doesn’t do planes either so the FAI had to strap two of the fastest Irish players together and attached them to a golden cart, think that set them back a couple hundred money dollars. He also tips 5000% on every purchase cuz he’s such a lovely lad.
@Aire Dezamba: Fran Rooney….the house of cards he built with Baltimore technologies ….
Ross pontificating yet again , the man with the ego – does he stand in front of the mirror every night thinking of a new way to make the headlines or come up with a new law
Yes the FAI are a basket case but so is this government
Bit disrespectful to basket cases in fairness
Sport Ireland have a lot of questions to answer.
Why was John Delaney let run unchecked over the last number of years?
Would love to hear what checks and balances are in place?
Maybe Kieron Mulvey could answer this when he appears?
Where was the Govt and Shane Ross when tax payers money was being squandered
@Getaldine Byrne: Busy claiming expenses.
True That Ross
@Fergal Pigat: We saw a FG TD resign after being found out, but not before he cast a final vote in favour of the FF FG Coalition. Multiple FF and FG members submitting or encouraging spurious claims. The FAI didnt get away with what they did for years by accident.
@DaMoons: Who remembers I WON IT on The HORSES, or the FG calamity of a 200 million euro Tribunal against he who will not be named and no actions taken in response to the Tribunal findings.
Where’s Delaney? Reno, Rio or Rosslare? £€$¥
@Kieran Daly: maybe Kerry?
I wonder will Healey Rae be there to support JD once more.
He is a major basket case as well as being a disgrace.
@Camacsaint: Mick Healy Rae nearly died today from smoke inhalation ; busy burning Delaneys ledgers. Three sets of accounts!
@Kieran Daly:
Not a nice comment. The man had to be brought to hospital
@Jim O Connor: When a fire breaks out, the people involved are routinely brought to hospital as a precaution. There was nothing wrong with Healy Rae (nothing that can be blamed on the fire anyway).
@Jim O Connor: Brought to hospital
Sport Ireland have questions to answers,they are supposed to oversee this funding etc,but this has been going on for years in the FAI and they kept giving them public money.
Soccer gets 2.9 million funding from the government. It is the most played sport in the country.
I could be wrong, maybe football has more but my point is 2.9 million is nothing compared to what the greyhound board get annually.
It’s 16 million.
Why do they get so much? Imagine the facilities Ireland could have with 16 million a year?
Soccer certainly gives more people joy than greyhound racing.
I’ve been telling people for years about the IGB and how corrupt they are. Races are fixed. Dogs abused. Nobody goes to the track!
Ok rant over.
@Alsy: imagine how much they’d bank separately if u allocated €16 million per year to these cowboys? That’s the problem, absolute no guarantee the money would be invested in the correct way.
He’s right not to give them a penny, they e shown they’re beyond incompetent.
Any reasonable person’s concern has to be with the grassroots clubs, particularly under-age boys clubs. Those kids need to be supported, and those who support them need to be supported.
The latter day St Paul; a bit late with his conversion.
Shane, you honestly are an embarrassment
@Dylan Moran: he’s not wrong about this. The FAI are the real embarrassment here.
@Dylan Moran: Show us your expenses
@Dylan Moran: another bot
He has a head like a chewed toffee that fell on the carpet.
@Alan Biddulph: ad hominem argument.
@Alan Biddulph: a face on him like a bulldog after lickin p!ss from a thistle
It’s not about Ross, it’s about the FAI and Delaney. Ross is the man who won’t take Ball locks on board in putting Soccer back on track. To the Clowns who knock him, You need mouth guards and Not shin guards.
its simple maths not trust 55m in debt you dont give anyone 2.9 m of a grant who are that badly in debt
The tax paying public don’t trust the politicians with the tax that they collect either but we don’t have an option to withhold paying tax , do we!!!
There is a lot more basket cases than the fai over the last ten yrs and yr pumped money in to them and we paid it back…election time will be pay back time for some of those decisions..ye should be ashamed of yer selves…this government may have improved the finances of the country but it came a major cost to its people
Ross is a basket case too…so he should know
https://combatarena.ie/paul-kimmage/
Shane Ross said on TV the other night he wants to get a third party to distribute the money to the clubs. It will end up costing more to pay them than it will to distribute it.
The Simpsons comes to mind !
Call in the IFA
@trebloc01: The farmers or the loyalist football crowd from Belfast? # Ifa # Ifa
What’s the difference between government money and taxpayers money?
Pot calling the kettle black
How come he never said the same about his mate Pat Hickey ?
Who audited their accounts all these years?
Pot kettle
Is this the shortest article ever on the42?
@Brendan Greene:
He’s some neck saying he doesn’t trust people with money , the crooks he supports in fail can’t be trusted with money either. Scandal after scandal , financial irregularities, bogus claims for expenses failed health services,rising costs of children’s hospital, broadband and getting your new fancy printer in . Plus your a pompous shit
Well done Shane Ross
Wouldn’t trust you with money either Ross and you are a bit of a basket case too
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