Privacy Statement

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

LIFE-IP Wild Atlantic Nature

Who we are

This Privacy Statement is issued by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) LIFE-Integrated Project (IP) Wild Atlantic Nature.  The NPWS is a part of the Heritage Division of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH).  DHLGH, “the Department”, is the government department responsible for housing and water, for physical and spatial planning, for local government, for weather forecasting and for our nations built and natural heritage.

The Department is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.  This Privacy Statement explains how the Department, as the Data Controller, will process the personal data provided to it in respect of the LIFE-IP Wild Atlantic Nature, specifically its Results Based agri-environmental Payment Scheme (RBPS); how that information will be used; and what rights you may exercise in relation to your personal data.

If you have any questions on the storage, use and sharing of your data please contact the DHLGH Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@housing.ie or the Data Protection Officer, DHLGH, Newton Road, Wexford.

Categories of personal data that we collect and process

The Department processes the following personal data in respect of the LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature RBPS, once the data subject has expressed an interest in participating in this programme:

  • Name, address, telephone number, email address and herd number.  Also collected is the name, phone number and email address of the applicants nominated farm advisor.
  • We also collect an applicant’s Land Parcel Identification (LPIS) data held by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM).  This data gives details of the farmers holding identifier, attributes on crop description, commonage details and whether the land is part of a farm scheme.

Once participation in the scheme is confirmed the Department will also collect bank account details for the Farmer and their nominated Farm Advisor.

We also collect personal data, name address and contact details from participants as a part of their participation in the mandatory training associated with participation on the scheme.

Source of the personal data

Personal data relating to the individual participants (Farmer and Farm Advisor) is provided by the individual as a part of the process of applying to participate on the LIFE-IP Wild Atlantic Nature scheme and via the bank details form in order to receive payments from the scheme.  LPIS data is provided by the DAFM Direct Policy Payments Unit as a part of the process of confirming the individual farmer’s eligibility to participate in the scheme.  As required by law, for participants on the LIFE-IP Wild Atlantic Nature scheme we also collect details relating to the participation of a Farmer, Herd Number or LIPIS number in other DAFM conservation schemes to avoid instances of double payment for conservation measures.  Participant data (Farmer and Farm Advisor) are also collected in the recording of the initial habitat assessment of the land, any agreed supporting actions devised for improvement and through further annual assessment.  Finally we collect individual data for participants in the booking of places and attendance on the training associated with the scheme.  We do not collect your personal data from anywhere else.

Purposes of the processing

The Department will use the information provided in order to administer the LIFE-IP Wild Atlantic Nature scheme.  The administration of the scheme will involve checking participation eligibility, verifying and matching land parcels to the relevant farm(er) and facilitating payments to farmers based on results.  We will also make payments to farm advisors for the work they have done.  We will also use the data collected to check for double payments for conservation activities with DAFM as required by law.  We use attendance data from the training to ensure that all participants have the required information to participate on the scheme.  Some of the data we collect, and then anonymise, will also be used as a part of the requirements for the Department to report on the progress and outcomes of the scheme to the government and the EU.  Your personal data, including payment data will also be retained to meet internal, Tax Commissioner and EU audit requirement.  The Department will not process your personal data for any purpose other than that for which it is collected.

Profiling   

The Department will not use any of the personal data we collect from you for any form of profiling or automated decision making.

Lawful Basis for Processing

The legal bases for the processing of your data as a part of the LIFE-IP Wild Atlantic Nature scheme under the following articles of the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 is:

  • GDPR Article 6(1)(b), “the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract”;
  • GDPR Article 6(1)(c), “the processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject”.
  • LIFE Regulations EU No1293/2013 Article 8 and Recital 11 and EU 783/2021 Article 8 and Recital 5.

You have also confirmed, in the application form, that you understand that your data will be exchanged with DAFM as a part of the confirmation of eligibility process and to check for possible double payments for similar activities on the same land parcel.

Security of your personal data

The Department implements appropriate technical, organisational and procedural measures to protect your information from unauthorised access.  However, no set of security measures, processes and procedures are infallible and in the unlikely event that your data is compromised as the result of a breach of security the Department’s Breach Management Policy and Procedures will be activated.

Recipients of the data

As detailed above your data will be exchanged with DAFM for the purposes of determining your eligibility for participation in the LIFE-IP Wild Atlantic Nature scheme and to check for double payments on land parcels as required by law.  Your data will also be used in collaboration with your nominated farm advisor data to enable the delivery of their advice and to process the land parcel score cards.

Cross-border Data Transfers

The Department will not transfer the personal data collected in respect of the LIFE-IP Wild Atlantic Nature project to any country outside of the EU/EEA except as required for the delivery of the project and governed by contractual clauses in accordance with GDPR.

Cookies

The department uses no cookies in any of the online systems that participants will use in the collection and processing of data as a part of the delivery of this scheme.  Cookies used by our delivery partner Esri, in their ArcGIS and Survey123 software, are only those required for the delivery of the data entry and review service they provide.

How long will your data be kept?

The Department will only retain your data for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was connected and is required by law.  In line with legal requirements your personal details will be retained for the duration of the LIFE-IP Wild Atlantic Nature project plus 7 years, or until 2035.

Your Rights  

In addition to the details contained in this notice, the Departments Data Protection Policy sets out how we use your data as well as providing information regarding your rights as a data subject.  The Data Protection policy is available via the DHLGH website or in hard copy upon request.  If you consider that your rights have been infringed you have the right to complain to the Irish Data Protection Commission (www.dataprotection.ie), and you have the right to seek judicial remedy.

Contact Details   

If you require further information, or wish to access your personal data, please contact the Department’s Data Protection Officer whose details are below:

Data Protection Officer
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Newtown Road
Wexford
Email: data.protection@housing.gov.ie