Privacy
Who are we and why do we require your information?
Louth County Council seeks to promote the economic, social and cultural development of Louth and in doing so contribute significantly to improving the quality of life of the people of Louth.
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The delivery of high quality services, tailored to meet the needs of all our customers, remains one of Louth County Council’s core objectives, included in our Corporate Plan. This quality service includes not only the level and quality of service given to our customers, but also the quality of our decision-making processes, the efficiency and effectiveness of our corporate operations, standard of our facilities and our ability to adapt in an ever-changing environment.
Louth County Council is committed to protecting your privacy when you use our services. Louth County Council is a data controller and a data processor.
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This Privacy Notice explains how we use information about you and how we protect your privacy.
Our Data Protection Officer (DPO) makes sure we respect your rights and follow the law. If you have any questions about how we look after your personal information, please contact the Data Protection Officer at Dataprotection@louthcoco.ie.
Why do we have a privacy notice?
Louth County Council has created this privacy notice in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy and ensure the security of the data you provide to us is kept safe.
Louth County Council creates, collects and processes a significant amount of personal data in various multiple formats on a daily basis. The personal data you may be required to supply is:
· Obtained lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner
· Obtained for only specified, explicit and legitimate purposes
· Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purpose for which it was obtained.
· Recorded, stored accurately and securely and where necessary kept up to date
· Kept only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was obtained
· Kept in a form which permits identification of the data subject
· Processed only in a manner that ensures the appropriate security of personal data including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing
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What is personal data/information?
Personal data is any information that can identify and individual person. This includes a name, an ID number, postal address, images or anything related to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of a person.
Personal data identified as “special category” includes: Sexuality and sexual health, Religious beliefs, Ethnicity, Physical or mental health, Trade union membership, Political opinion, Genetic/biometric data, Criminal history.
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What personal data do we need?
The types of personal data you may be asked to supply can be categorised as follows:
· Contact details to allow for efficient communication
· Details of your personal circumstances which you are required by law to supply as part of your application for a service offered by Louth County Council
· Your own financial details which you are required by law to supply as part of your application for a service offered by Louth County Council.
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Why do we need your personal data?
· Fulfill our legal obligations as a local authority to provide a service and support to you.
· Investigate complaints received about our services.
· Keep track of spending by Louth County Council
· Comply with Employment Law
· Comply with Health and Safety Law
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We only use what we need!
Where we can, we will only collect and use personal information if we need it to deliver a service or meet a requirement. If we don’t need personal information we won’t ask you for it, and even if we already have your information from something else we will only use it in cases where we have specifically asked for it- you will remain anonymous in all other instances.
We will not sell your personal information to any other organisation or person. We are legally obliged to make the Edited Electoral Register available which contains the names of individuals who have opted-in to be listed when registering for the Electoral Register.
Who do we share your information with?
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We use a range of organisations to either store personal information or help deliver our services to you. Where we have these arrangements there is always an agreement in place to make sure that the organisation complies with Data Protection law. We will often complete a data privacy impact assessment (DPIA) before we share personal information to make sure we protect your privacy and comply with the law.
Sometimes we have a legal duty to provide personal information to other organizations i.e.
· The Courts
· An Garda Siochána
· Garda Ombudsman
· Revenue
· Right of complaint to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the response you received from Louth County Council in relation to your request then you are entitled to make a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner who may investigate the matter for you.
· Website: www.dataprotection.ie
· Lo Call Number: 1890 252 231
· E-mail: info@dataprotection.ie
· Postal Address: Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Canal House , Station Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois R32 AP23.