286. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation having regard to the definition of “machine-readable format” in S.I. No. 376/2021 and to Government Open Data Policy, to state the file formats which his Department recognises as machine-readable for the publication of tabular public-sector datasets. [51574/26]

Under the European Union (Open Data and Re-use of Public Sector Information) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 376 of 2021), a machine-readable format is defined as a file format structured so that software applications can easily identify, recognise and extract specific data from it. The Regulations do not prescribe a definitive list of file formats that must be used.

Consistent with Ireland's Open Data Policy, public bodies are encouraged to publish datasets in open, machine-readable formats wherever possible. The Open Data Technical Framework and associated guidance provide examples of suitable formats, including CSV, JSON and XML for general datasets, as well as formats such as GeoJSON, GML, KML and Shapefile for geospatial data. The guidance also notes that recommended formats are subject to review and update as new formats emerge through technological developments.

The Department does not maintain a closed or exhaustive list of suggested file formats recognised as machine-readable. The key consideration is that the format used enables data to be readily processed by software applications and supports openness, accessibility and re-use in line with national and EU legislation. My Department supports public bodies to meet their obligations under these regulations by providing guidance, such as the Technical Framework, accessible via the national open data portal data.gov.ie, training in publishing open data for civil and public servants in collaboration with the Institute of Public Administration, and one-to-one support as required.