Department Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Register of Users)

Updated: May 2024

Does your organisation use the PPSN at present?

Yes

If so, for what purpose?

Payroll and HR Management :- PPSN is used for many HR related purposes. This includes managing personnel files, payroll, illness benefit, recruitment through the Public Appointments Service (PAS), referral to the Chief Medical Officer. It is the unique identifier for the civil service-wide PeopleSoft Human Resource Management Software (HRMS) system.

Payments -The PPSN is used as part of the invoicing process (e.g. sole traders)

FOI and Subject Access Requests : Although PPSNs are not a requirement, customers requesting personal records under the FOI and GDPR legislation may submit official documentation that includes their PPSN as proof of identification.

Water Conservation Grant - the PPSN is used to set up EFT payments and issue payments to customers where cheques have gone out of date.

Thatching Grant - Grant applications which are made directly to the Department require inclusion of PPSN in order to make payments.

Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability – : Applications for this scheme are processed by Local Authorities. PPSN is required to facilitate verification and recoupment of grant funding to the Local Authorities.

Shared Ownership/Affordable Housing Scheme : - Applications for this scheme are processed by Local Authorities. PPSN is required to facilitate verification and recoupment of grant funding to the Local Authorities.

Mortgage Allowance Scheme Applications for this scheme are processed by Local Authorities. PPSN is required to facilitate verification and recoupment of grant funding to the Local Authorities.

LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature Results Based Payment Scheme (RBPS) - PPSN is required to facilitate payments to our Agri Environmental Programme (RBPS) participants, to verify their identity, and to confirm tax compliance.

Corncrake Traonach LIFE RBPS - PPSN is required to facilitate payments to our RBPS participants, to verify their identity, and to confirm tax compliance.

Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme - PPSN is used to validate the identity of applicants for compensation.

Protected Raised Bogs Restoration Incentive Scheme – PPSN is used to validate the identity of applicants for compensation.

Wildlife Enforcement and Nature Conservation – PPSN may be used as a security measure to verify the identity of callers to the unit. It is also used when successful applicants and other suppliers are being set up in order to receive compensation payments (it is included on the EFT form they are required to complete for Accounts Section).

PPSN numbers were captured on the original Voluntary Bog Purchase Scheme (VBPS) application forms. They are not recorded on the VBPS database. As part of conveyancing, contracts are submitted by the vendor’s solicitor to the Chief State Solicitor’s Office, who then send those contracts to the Department for signing

NPWS Property Management Unit – PPSN numbers are required to facilitate land purchases and to check Tax Clearance Certificates received as part of the process.

National Monuments Service - PPSN numbers are used for applications for grants under the Community Monuments Fund.

Does your organisation exchange the PPSN with any other body? If so, please name the relevant body and the purpose(s) of the exchange?

Payroll and HR Management: PPSNs are exchanged with the National Shared Services Office (NSSO) which operates its payroll, the Chief Medical Officer for Employee referrals and HRMS.
Water Conservation Grant: PPSNs are exchanged between this Department and the Department of Social Protection to respond to queries from members of the public and to arrange payment of the Grant, in cases where expired cheques are returned to the Department.
Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability – Private Houses: Applications for this scheme are processed by Local Authorities and the PPSN is shared with the Department to facilitate verification and recoupment of grant funding to the Local Authorities.
Shared Ownership/Affordable Housing Scheme: Applications for this scheme are processed by Local Authorities and the PPSN is shared with the Department to facilitate verification and recoupment of grant funding to the Local Authorities.
Mortgage Allowance Scheme: Applications for this scheme are processed by Local Authorities and the PPSN is shared with the Department to facilitate verification and payment of subsidies to financial institutions.

Does your organisation have any plans involving the use of the PPS number?

Vacant Homes Unit - As part of the administration of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, the Vacant Homes Unit is considering the use of PPSN to strengthen the administration of the scheme and prevent duplicate applications.

There is a duty to ensure compliance with the principles of processing personal data which are set out in Article 5(1) and 5(2) of the GDPR. These principles are summarised as follows

Process it lawfully, fairly, and in a transparent manner;
Collect it only for one or more speciﬁed, explicit and legitimate purposes, and do not otherwise use it in a way that is incompatible with those purposes;
Ensure it is adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purpose it is processed;
Keep it accurate and up-to-date and erase or rectify any inaccurate data without delay;
Where it is kept in a way that allows you to identify who the data is about, retain it for no longer than is necessary;
Keep it secure by using appropriate technical and/or organisational security measures;
Be able to demonstrate your compliance with the above principles; and
Respond to requests by individuals seeking to exercise their data protection rights (for example the right of access

Have you measures in place to ensure that the Public Service Identity data you hold/collect whether in electronic or written format is in line with the GDPR Principles described above?

Yes.

There are adequate measures in place to ensure that PPSN data is secure and is processed and accessible for the stated purposes only.