Association Of Data Protection Officers, Ireland

The Association is a membership organisation for those who are actively working as Data Protection Officers in their respective organisations. The Association offers Data Protection Officers an opportunity to share ideas, voice concerns, seek clarity on new legislation, and offer their own insights on the demands and challenges of the job. Membership is open to anyone who fills a data management role within their organisation, whether formally or informally. The objective of the Association is to provide clarity on issues, raise awareness of the legislation and to offer its members a forum where these topics can be discussed. At a time when we are seeing more and more data-related issues arising in the media, this Association is both topical and relevant. It addresses the requirements of anyone who is striving to define a data management strategy, establishing practical processes and structures for their organisation to achieve and maintain compliance with the Irish DP legislation. In parallel, we are facing into a period of considerable change in this area – new Regulations are being proposed which will mean significant challenges for any organisation which manages personal data as part of its sales, marketing or deployment strategy. Senior Data Protection Officers from a broad range of Irish public-sector and commercial organisations have kindly agreed to form the inaugural Steering Committee of the Association, and they will be introduced to the press and to attendees at this year's Data Protection Conference.