The three identifiers needed for the NDI to be effective are:

• Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) for interactions between the individual and the public sector
• Eircode to identify location of the respective individual/business
• Unique Business Identifier (UBI), to enable improvements in service delivery, and policy formulation and analysis for businesses when interacting with the public sector

Background

The National Data Identifiers (NDI) Champions Group, chaired by the CSO with representatives from all Departments and agencies with high-value data, monitors and promotes coverage of the unique identifiers across public sector data holdings. This group has the ambition of identifying gaps in the coverage of unique identifiers while also promoting the value of the NDI in meeting known and emerging data needs in the public service.

Chairperson: Paul Morrin, Assistant Director General, Central Statistics Office

Secretary: Caroline Barrett, Assistant Principal, Central Statistics Office

Role of the Group

The primary functions/roles of this group are as follows:

• To develop and maintain an NDI Dashboard which includes key data holdings in Public Sector Bodies and the level of coverage of unique identifiers across these data holdings.
• To promote an active system-wide engagement on issues relating to data sharing and analysis, based on the Data Sharing and Governance Act.
• To identify ‘pathfinder projects’ in consultation with the CSO Statistical System Co-ordination Directorate to progress policy issues and provide evidence of value for the NDI in the public service.
• To set up sub-groups to progress topics that are of particular relevance to Public Sector Bodies; sub-groups include the Unique Business Identifier (UBI) and the Eircode sub-group.
• To support the development and implementation of a communications strategy for the NDI.

Membership of the Group

The Departments and Agencies currently represented at the NDI Champions Group are as follows:

• An Garda Síochána
• Central Bank of Ireland
• Central Statistics Office
• Commission for the Regulation of Utilities
• CORU (Health and Social Care Professionals Council)
• Courts Service
• Dental Council
• Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine
• Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation
• Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
• Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
• Department of Environment, Climate and Communications
• Department of Defence
• Department of Education
• Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
• Department of Social Protection
• Department of Foreign Affairs
• Department of Health
• Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
• Department of Justice
• Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
• Department of Rural and Community Development
• Department of Transport
• Department of Taoiseach
• Enterprise Ireland
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Food Safety Authority of Ireland
• Galway County Council
• Health Research Board
• Health Insurance Authority
• Higher Education Authority
• Health Products Regulatory Authority
• Health Service Executive
• Health and Safety Authority
• Irish Blood Transfusion Service
• Local Government Management Agency
• Mayo County Council
• Medical Council
• Mental Health Commission
• Nurses and Midwifery Board of Ireland
• Office of Government Procurement
• Ordnance Survey Ireland
• Office of Public Works
• Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
• Probation Service
• Public Appointments Service
• Residential Tenancies Board
• Revenue Commissioners
• Road Safety Authority
• Safefood
• SOLAS- An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna
• Tailte Eireann
• Valuation Office

Operation of the Group

The group meets at least four times a year. These meetings are used for the exchange of relevant information, developments, and reporting of considerations on a range of issues relevant to unique identifiers and the NDI. The CSO Statistical System Co-ordination Directorate provides guidance and support to the group to progress the implementation of the NDI.

On demand, the chairperson may invite other persons to attend and/or speak to the group where the chairperson considers such a contribution may be of benefit to the role of the group.

On demand, the chairperson may invite members onto a group or team to work on specific topics or evaluate progress in specific areas where the chairperson considers such a contribution may be of benefit to the role of the group or the further development of the NDI.