3970. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if a digital sovereignty assessment has been, or will be, carried out as part of the procurement process for the National Electronic Health Record (EHR) System; the safeguards, if any, that are being put in place to ensure that the State retains control over the data, infrastructure and governance of the National EHR should a non-EU vendor be selected; and the relevant assessments that have been carried out in that context relating to the National Children’s Hospital EHR provider (details supplied). [63788/26]

The National Electronic Health Record (EHR) Programme is a key component of Digital for Care and will support the delivery of safer, more integrated and patient-centred healthcare. Government approved the Preliminary Business Case for the National EHR Programme in February 2026 and work is continuing on the next stages of the programme, including development of the Definitive Business Case, in preparations for Gate 2 approval and progression of the procurement process in accordance with the Government's Infrastructure Guidelines.

In progressing the National EHR Programme, the Department of Health and the HSE are considering a broad range of matters including digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, data protection, digital resilience, interoperability, governance, patient safety and compliance with Irish and European law, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These considerations form part of the wider policy, governance and procurement framework for the programme.

Regardless of the supplier selected through a competitive procurement process, the State will retain responsibility for the governance, policy and regulatory arrangements under which the National EHR operates. Patient health information will remain subject to Irish and European law, including data protection legislation, and the National EHR Programme will be required to support national policy objectives and relevant European requirements, consistent with the arrangements that apply across existing national digital health programmes. The nationality of a supplier does not alter the requirement that the National EHR operate within the State's legal, regulatory and governance framework, nor does it diminish the State's responsibility for oversight, accountability and the protection of patient health information.

The Department of Health and the HSE continue to monitor developments at European level relating to digital sovereignty, strategic digital resilience and health data governance, including implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS). The EHDS is intended to strengthen individuals' rights in relation to their health information, support interoperable electronic health records and establish a common governance framework for electronic health data across the European Union. These developments are relevant to the continued evolution of Ireland's digital health infrastructure, including the National EHR Programme.