Government launches Open Data strategy

Ireland sets 'gold standard' for data accessibility in Europe, says Minister

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Data held by public bodies is to be made freely available and easily accessible online for reuse and redistribution thanks to the new Open Data Strategy officially launched today. The strategy provides the framework for the actions that the public service will take on Open Data over the next five years to ensure best use across all public sectors.

The vision set out in the five-year strategy is to create easy access to high quality government data, promoting trust and stimulating innovation via a specialised online platform. There are almost 15,000 datasets from almost 150 publishers hosted on the Open Data Portal which are all freely available.

Covid-19 demonstrated the importance of Open Data. Governments, businesses, organisations and public services were able to share vital information quickly, efficiently and ethically during the pandemic. Open Covid data, communicated daily to the public, was indispensable to demonstrate the necessity of Covid safety measures and reflect the practical benefits of adhering to Government guidelines. This contributed to protecting the health of the population and reducing the impact on the health services.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery & Reform Paschal Donohoe, said: “Open Data is central in driving the delivery of better public services across Ireland. It provides a rich evidence base to inform decisions ensuring we are creating effective and inclusive services. Open Data is also inherently transparent – this is key in creating accountable public bodies. Delivering more efficient public services that are fair and transparent builds trust in government which is fundamental for a healthy functioning democracy.

“Ireland began its journey with Open Data in 2014 and since then we have made impressive progress. We went from ranking 18^th in the EU in 2017 to ranking first for Open Data Maturity in 2018, 2019 and 2020, setting the gold standard for open data management across Europe. This strategy builds upon this strong foundation and continues to seek further ways to ensure that open data is utilised to its full potential for the benefit of all the people of Ireland.”

TechCentral Reporters

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