Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Register of Users)

Does your Organisation use the PPS Number at present?
If so, for what purpose?
Does your organisation exchange the PPS Number with any other body? If so please name the relevant bodies and state the purpose(s) of the exchange
Does your organisation have any other plans involving the use of the PPS number?
Have you measures in place to ensure that the Public Service Identity data you hold /collect, whether held in electronic or written format is secure and that it is accessible and processed, only in connection with the purpose for which it has been provided?

Updated: August 2016

Does your Organisation use the PPS Number at present?

Yes

If so, for what purpose?

For tax clearance, professional services withholding tax and returns of payments.

By Human Resources Division when recording staff details on the Human Resources Management System (People Point) and when setting up staff on the Department's Internal Financial Management System for payment purposes. Human Resources also use the PPS number as an identifier on internal HR documentation and in correspondence with the HSE and the Department ofSocial Protection.

For payment by Electronic Fund Transfer.

As a tool to protect against identity theft and passport fraud.

Does your organisation exchange the PPS Number with any other body? If so please name the relevant bodies and state the purpose(s) of the exchange

Yes, with:

Office of the Revenue Commissioners, as per above
the HSE and the Department of Social Protection in correspondence relating to sick leave of its staff and arrangements for its staff serving abroad
other Government Departments that use the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) when staff transfer between Departments
Department of Social Protection for the purposes of production of the Public Services Card. PPS numbers are also used in communication with DEASP in seeking to gain information in cases of suspected identity theft and passport fraud, as per above

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

No.

There are Eight Rules of Data Protection which govern the processing of personal data set out as follows:

obtain and process the information fairly
keep it only for one or more specified, explicit and lawful purposes
process it only in ways compatible with the purposes for which it was given to you initially
keep it safe and secure
keep it accurate, complete and up-to-date
ensure that it is adequate, relevant and not excessive
retain it no longer than is necessary for the specified purpose or purposes
give a copy of his/her personal data to an individual, on request

Have you measures in place to ensure that the Public Service Identity data you hold /collect, whether held in electronic or written format is secure and that it is accessible and processed, only in connection with the purpose for which it has been provided?

Yes, the Department has an appointed Data Protection Officer whose role is to ensure that the requirements of the Data Protection Act are fully met.