Yes, scraping public data in Ireland is generally permissible, provided it complies with data protection, copyright, and sector-specific regulations. Public data is not inherently restricted, but automated extraction must avoid breaches of GDPR, the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, and the European Union (Open Data and Public Sector Information) Regulations 2021. The Data Protection Commission (DPC) and the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) enforce these rules, with heightened scrutiny expected post-2026 under the EU Data Act.
Key Regulations for Scraping Public Data in Ireland
- GDPR Compliance: Scraping personal data from public sources triggers GDPR obligations, including lawful basis (Article 6), transparency (Article 13-14), and data subject rights. The DPC’s 2023 guidance emphasizes that even publicly available data may require consent if processing is not strictly necessary for a legitimate interest.
- Copyright Restrictions: The Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 protects original compilations of public data (e.g., curated databases). Scraping such datasets without permission may constitute infringement, as affirmed by the Irish courts in Football Association of Ireland v. Sky Media (2015).
- Public Sector Information (PSI) Regulations: The 2021 Regulations transpose the EU Open Data Directive, mandating public bodies to make non-sensitive data machine-readable. However, scraping PSI for commercial reuse requires adherence to licensing terms, with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform overseeing compliance.