The Public Appointments Service (Register of Users)

Updated: Updated October 2019

Does the Public Appointments Service (PAS) use the PPS Number at present?

Yes.

If so, for what purpose ?

PPS Numbers are used for a range of purposes in PAS. 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 on the Human Resource Management System. The PPS Number is also used in matters relating to the payment of Board Members.

The PPS Number is currently captured from candidates at registration stage on publicjobs.ie. The PPS Number is used for identification and verification of applicants at various stages of the process and is also used to identify duplicate applicants. The PPS Number field is not mandatory at registration.

The PPS Number submitted with a mobility application is used to cross check against civil service employment records to confirm the applicant is a serving civil servant.

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?

PAS shares PPS Numbers with the NSSO including Payroll for processing payroll and maintenance of HR records and for pension purposes. PAS also uses PPS Numbers in transfers of staff between the various other public service bodies.

The PPS Number of individuals being appointed is supplied to the HR Manager/Personnel Officer of the employing public service organisation. In certain circumstances where PAS is only involved in conducting interim stages of a selection process, PAS provides candidate details to the employing authority which is carrying out the final stage(s) of the process, and these details may include the PPS Number.

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

The PPS Number will continue to be used in the way outlined above. PAS has no future plans for any changes to this at present.

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 PPS Number data is secure and is processed only for the stated purposes. The PPS Number is used only in the manner outlined above.

• In HR, PPS Numbers are held electronically on a HR drive and are accessible only by HR staff. HR Paper records containing Public Service Identity Data are kept in a secure location, accessible only by HR staff. Staff are acutely aware of the importance of the security of identifiable personal data and the obligations placed on HR Units by the GDPR.
• The Finance Unit stores the PPS Number in the Finance shared drive which can only be accessed by the relevant staff. The PPS Number is also stored on the PAS financial system, Agresso. The PPS Number is used without the letter as a unique identifier on other finance systems.
• Board Member PPS Numbers are held on the Board Member payment system accessible only to members of the Finance Unit. As part of the initial registration of Board Members, their PPS Number may be available to staff in the recruitment unit which registers that particular Board Member and to staff involved in the registration process.
• Candidate PPS Numbers are stored on the publicjobs.ie profile of all registered users who have supplied their PPS Number. This information may be used by PAS staff to access a candidates account, as part of the verification process. Candidates may remove the PPS Number from their profile at any time when editing their information, by choosing ‘not applicable’.