Fifth Nitrates Action Programme, and the associated Strategic Environmental Assessment Privacy Statement

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is the Government Department responsible for housing and water, for physical and spatial planning, for local government, for Heritage and for weather forecasting.

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 public consultation on the proposed additional measures for the Fifth Nitrates Action Programme, and the associated Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA); how that information will be used, and what rights you may exercise in relation to your personal data.

Why are we processing your data

The Department will use your data in order to shape the content and focus on the proposed additional measures for the Fifth Nitrates Action Programme, and the associated SEA. The Department will not process your personal data for any purpose other than that for which it was collected.

Profiling

The Department will not use any personal data collected from you in respect of the Public Consultation the proposed additional measures for the Fifth Nitrates Action Programme, and the associated SEA for automated decision-making, or for profiling purposes.

Lawfulness of processing

This processing of your personal data is lawful under Article 6 (1) (e) of the GDPR Regulation which provides that processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller, in this case the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in its capacity as the body responsible for water quality policy.

Security of your personal data

The Department implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information from unauthorised access. However, despite these efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against any interception or other type of misuse. In the event that your personal data is compromised as a result of a breach of security, the Department’s Breach Management policy and procedures will be implemented.

Cross-border Data Transfers

The Department will not transfer personal data collected in respect of the public consultation the proposed additional measures for the Fifth Nitrates Action Programme, and the associated SEA to any country or international organisation outside the EU/EEA.

How long will your data be kept?

The Department will only retain your personal data for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and processed. In line with legislative and business requirements, the data retention period for your personal data, in this instance, is eight years.

Your rights

The Department's Data Protection Policy , which sets out how we will use your personal data ,as well as providing information regarding your rights as a data subject (including details regarding right of access, right to rectification, right to erasure, right to restriction of processing, right to object), is available on our website. The policy is also available 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 Commissioner (www.dataprotection.ie), and you have the right to seek

a judicial remedy.

Contacting Us

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