Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Register of Users)

Updated: July 2019

Does your department use the PPS Number at present?

Yes

If so, for what purpose?

PPS numbers are used in a range of functions in the department. The PPS number is used in matters relating to HR administration i.e. payroll processing, training, travel and subsistence, tax and social welfare matters and the update of the Human Resource Management System. The department also employs PPS numbers as a unique client identifier in a number of schemes and systems for external customers and for the purpose of processing payments to external suppliers and customers.

PPS numbers are also used by a number of the bodies and agencies under the department’s aegis, namely, the Heritage Council, the Crawford Art Gallery, Foras na Gaeilge, the Ulster-Scots Agency, the Arts Council, Chester Beatty Library, Screen Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Údarás na Gaeltachta , the National Library of Ireland, and Waterways Ireland. PPS numbers are used by the bodies for the purposes of payroll, tax, training, social protection and HR administration and as a unique identifier for payment, grant funding and tax clearance purposes.

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

Yes.

The department exchanges PPS numbers with the Financial Shared Services (FSS) team in the Department of Justice and Equality, which undertakes the running of the financial management system on behalf of the department. FSS also liaises with the Revenue Commissioners on behalf of the department as appropriate.

The department shares PPS numbers to the NSSO (PeoplePoint), for processing payroll and maintenance of HR Records. The department also uses PPS numbers for exchanges of information with the Department of Social Protection and in transfers of staff between the various other government departments.

Where necessary, PPS numbers are exchanged by Údarás na Gaeltachta with those administering training and education courses and with bodies that run employment schemes in the community.

The department also exchanges staff PPS numbers with the Payroll Shared Services Centre in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and, via PSSC, to the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social Protection. Occasionally, staff PPS numbers may also be exchanged with other government departments and public sector bodies in relation to matters such as staff transfers and for the determination of service history.

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

Not currently. All arrangements outlined above will continue.

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?

PPS numbers are only held for the purposes outlined above and the department is committed to the continued implementation of the eight rules.

Hard copies of records containing PPS numbers are stored securely in all relevant units within the department, while electronic records are stored securely on shared drives within the department’s information technology infrastructure and accessible only by relevant staff. Staff have been made aware of the sensitivity of such data and the security requirements which pertain to it. Similar arrangements are also in place in the bodies and agencies under the department’s aegis.

When sharing information with the FSS, addition there is a signed GDPR Addendum to the FSS Service Level Agreement which arises from Article 28(3) of GDPR, where it is necessary that processing by a processor shall be governed by a contract between the processor (FSS) and the controller (DCHG) as an addendum to any Service Level Agreement.