Ireland has finally implemented the 1995 Directive on Data
Protection, almost five years after the expiry of the EU's
deadline. Ireland becomes the 14th of the 15 Member States to get
its domestic privacy legislation in order. France has still to
comply.
The deadline for implementation of the Directive was October
1998. The UK implemented it just in time, with its Data Protection
Act 1998 which completely replaced the earlier 1984 Act. Ireland's
implementing law, the Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003, amends
rather than replaces the country's 1988 Act.
The Directive was designed to ensure that there are no barriers
to the free flow of information between member states of the
European Union while demanding a high standard of protection for
personal data.
The bulk of the provisions in the Irish law will come into force
on 1st July 2003. The remainder, including provisions relating to
registration and enforced subject access, do not yet have a date
set for commencement.
