Clare County Council (Register of Users)

• Updated October 2019**

Does Clare County Council use the PPS Number at present?

Yes

If so, for what purpose(s)?

The various sections/departments of the council use PPS numbers as set out below:

Human Resources Dept

• In accordance with the legislative basis e.g. Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, Social Welfare Act 1998 & Social Welfare Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2002, Pensions Acts (as amended), Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012.

• To ensure applicants for employment have work permits in the Republic of Ireland.

• To ensure Clare County Council is able to set up new staff members and Councillors on the payroll system.

• When sending information to the Revenue Commissioners.

• When requesting information from other local authorities/public bodies on a new staff member's previous employment in regards of incremental credit and reckonable service.

• Staff training purposes by SOLAS.

• When requested by employees to complete forms where the PPS Number is required such as social welfare forms

Housing Section

• The purpose of identifying rent and loan customers and

• Identifying landlords in the case of the Rental Accommodation, Social Leasing & Housing Assistance Payment Schemes.

• And for identifying housing grant applicants, affordable housing applicants and housing support applicants.

• Under the Credit Reporting Act 2013, from July 1st 2017 Local Authorities are required to collect the PPSN of all applicants to a consumer credit agreement.

Water Services Section

• Applications for Bored Well Grants / Improvements to Existing Bored Wells require the submission of PPS Numbers on the application forms. This is required to ensure that applicants have/ have not received a previous grant in accordance with the grant scheme and also for setting up Supplier Details in the Finance Department so grant amounts can be paid to the applicants.

Payroll

Payroll section use PPS numbers for tax/PRSI deductions and for liaising with the Revenue Commissioners. PPS numbers are also used when returning the annual P35 return.

Accounts Payable

S.891B return sent to Revenue identifying payments to third parties - PPS numbers are used in this file where no Vat number has been supplied by supplier also used in the PSWT (Professional Services Withholding Tax) return

HEG (Higher Education Grants)

PPS numbers retained by HEG's but not used for anything

Revenue

Collected on Section 32 Local Government Reform Act 2014 Change in Ownership/Tenant of Commercial Properties form

Motor Tax

For eligibility for taxing a commercial vehicle at the commercial rate for the 1st time, an employee of a company who uses the vehicle exclusively in the course of his employment is required to confirm their PPS number. This submission is part of completing the motor tax assessment class eligibility requirements.

To convert a vehicle, e.g. to change the EU vehicle code of a vehicle, or to change the seating positions recorded for a vehicle, a prescribed Revenue Commissioner form has to be used (Form VRTCONV September 2017). This form, at page 1 and page 4, includes a data field for completion “PPSN/Tax No’’ of the vehicle owner.

Economic Development

We request PPSNs on Casual Trading Licence Application forms.

Local Enterprise Office

• PPS numbers obtained as part of grant applications and tax clearance certificates for sole traders.

• We request PPSNs on Application forms for local events organised by LEO such as food markets.

• PPS numbers required on Supplier Set Up form for payment if a sole trader.

Environment

Applications for grants in relation to works to be carried out to Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems require the customer to supply proof of level of income (copy of P21 or income statement) which contains the customer’s PPSN.

Rural Development

The PPS number of participants of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) from January 2018 will be collected by the Programme Implementers (PIs) who deliver the scheme on behalf of the Local Authority. The PPS number will be requested for a number of reasons, including to register on the programme, for referrals to the programme from other Bodies, and for programme evaluation purposes.

Does your County Council exchange the PPS Number with any external body?

Yes

If so please name the relevant bodies and state the purpose(s) of the exchange.

Housing Dept. use the PPS no:

• Validating/checking housing support applications can involve exchange of PPS number with another local authority;

• Housing adaptation grant applications which contain the PPS are forwarded to the HSE for medical opinion on the medical priority category of applicants;

• Landlord PPS numbers are given to Revenue annually, under procedures required under the Rental Accommodation and Social Leasing Schemes.

• In Short Term Leasing PPS of tenants are on leases which are shared with landlords

• HAP: PPS numbers are used by Shared Services through Sugar CRM system

• Local Authorities are legally obliged to report to the Central Credit Register (CCR) and the data supplied will be shared with the Central Credit Register.

Human Resources Dept. use the PPS no:

• To ensure applicants for employment have work permits in the Republic of Ireland.

• When sending information to the Revenue Commissioners & Social Welfare.

• When requesting information from other local authorities/public bodies on a new staff member's previous employment in regards of incremental credit and reckonable service.

Water Services Section:

• The PPS number of applications for Bored Well Grants is exchanged with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government as they have to carry out a check for a previous payment to the same applicants.

Finance Section use PPS no. for

Payroll

Payroll section use PPS numbers for tax/PRSI deductions and for liaising with the Revenue Commissioners. PPS numbers are also used when returning the annual P35 return.

Accounts Payable

S.891B return sent to Revenue Commissioners. Identifying payments to third parties - PPS numbers are used in this file where no Vat number has been supplied by supplier also used in the PSWT (Professional Services Withholding Tax) return

HEG (Higher Education Grants)

HEG's forms are created by the Department of Education and it is that department that looks for the PPS numbers. PPS numbers retained by HEG's but not used by Clare County Council for anything.

Motor Tax

For vehicle conversions which are not M1 to NI conversions, the motor tax department is precluded from processing the change of EU code. In these cases, the VRTCONV September 2017 forms are scanned to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to make the EU code change.

Economic Development

Economic Development request PPSNs on Casual Trading Licence Application forms. This information is shared with the Department of Revenue in the annual return.

Rural Development

The PPS number of participants of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) from January 2018 will be collected by the Programme Implementers (PIs) who deliver the scheme on behalf of the Local Authority. The PPS number will be requested for a number of reasons, including to register on the programme, for referrals to the programme from other Bodies, and for programme evaluation purposes

Other Relevant bodies

• Revenue Commissioners

• Other local authorities/HSE other public bodies e.g. Civil Service

• Central Credit Register

• www.welfare.ie

• Departments of government e.g. Department of Housing Planning and Local Government. In the case of Water Services above, this is for recoupment purposes, as without a PPS No. the application nor the recoupment would be processed. The reason for the exchange is to assist in the identification of the person and relevant properties owned by them.

• Health Service Executive (HSE)

• National NVDF database

• Department of Education

• NPPR Bureau

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

To continue using PPS numbers as outlined above.

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

1. Process it lawfully, fairly, and in a transparent manner;

2. 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;

3. Ensure it is adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purpose it is processed;

4. Keep it accurate and up-to-date and erase or rectify any inaccurate data without delay;

5. 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;

6. Keep it secure by using appropriate technical and/or organisational security measures;

7. Be able to demonstrate your compliance with the above principles; and

8. 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?

Human Resources Dept. Personal Data is recorded in the Human Resources Department through the National Core Electronic System which meets all the data control system requirements. Manual records are held safe and secure.

Water Services Section: Yes

Housing section: Database files containing PPS numbers (e.g. in the ‘ihouse' system) are accessible only via password;

RAS/HAP/Grants Databases are password protected, RAS contract files, social leasing files in locked filing cabinets, housing support application files, housing grant and loan application files and tenancy files are considered confidential files, and are accessed only by the staff that require access to them.

Motor Tax Department: the relevant tax applications (1st time commercial and vehicle conversions) are in a filing system accessible only to motor tax employees and in cabinets that are securely locked at close of business. The motor tax department operates a clean desk policy.

Finance Section: Supplier details are all held within the Accounts Payable section in a locked cabinet. Supplier setups on Agresso which include PPS numbers can only be accessed by specific group of people who are given access to the particular area within Agresso. Supplier set ups cannot be accessed by anyone.

S.891B is generated automatically and transmitted to Revenue via electronic means, no hard copy printed .Copy kept in the shares drive and file is password protected.

Payroll - PPS numbers kept on Core (National Core Electronic System which meets all the data control system requirements).Can only be accessed by those that have passwords.

HEG /NPPR - LGMA maintains the database and it is password protected.

Revenue – Yes

Local Enterprise Office – Yes, there are measures in place to ensure that the PPSN data is secure and is processed and accessible only for the stated purposes

Environment - The grant application documentation, for Domestic Water Treatment Systems, which includes the PPSN data is filed by year, by name and retained in a locked cabinet in the Environment Section. It is secure and only accessed and processed in connection with the assessment of the grant application (i.e. the purpose for which it was provided)