Irish Prison Service (IPS) (Register of Users)

Does the IPS use the PPS no?

Yes, as part of a 'specified body' under the Social Welfare Acts, namely the Department of Justice and Equality.

If so for what purpose?

HR administration in IPS HQ

When staff are recruited, personnel details including PPSN are stored on personnel database DataEase.

PPSN is cited on the following forms/correspondence:

EGen24 when an officer is retiring
requests by an officer for an estimate of pension for family law purposes or ill health
setting up staff on payroll – information sent to DJELR Financial Shared Services
suthorisation forms for maternity leave.
Social Welfare Certificates for Class A PRSI
correspondence with Department of Social Protection and with the Revenue Commissioners
referrals to Chief Medical Officer

Prisoners who wish to register with QQI for educational certification

IPS uses PPSN (supplied by prisoner or by Department of Social Protection) to register relevant prisoners who intend to participate in certified courses of further education.

Does IPS exchange PPSN with external bodies?

For prisoners who require / wish to make application for public services on release, information is sent on their behalf to:

Department of Social Protection
Department of Housing & relevant Local Authorities
National Medical Card Unit

HR administration in IPS HQ information is sent to:

Department of Social Protection
Revenue Commissioners
Department of Finance (Pensions Section)

For prisoners who wish to register with QQI for educational certification:

Future plans for the use of PPSN?

The IPS has no plans for the use of PPSN at this time.

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?

Operations Directorate

Currently we don’t allow users to access the PPSN field on PIMS.

Care and Rehabilitation Directorate

Resettlement Coordinator/ISM Coordinator interaction with Prisoner PPSNs

It is the aim of the Irish Prison Service (IPS) that all releases from Irish prisons and places of detention are planned releases to ensure the informed and effective transition of the offender from prison to the community in compliance with statutory, legal and sentencing provisions. IPS staff and its agents must ensure that every reasonable effort is made to make arrangements for accommodation, welfare and health supports for prisoners prior to their release to reduce the risk to the individual and to the wider community. In this pursuit, prison-based resettlement and integrated sentence management (ISM) coordinators will assist prisoners to obtain their PPSN from existing personal documents or through contact with DSP Client Identity Services. Before engaging with the Resettlement or ISM Coordinator the prisoner signs a consent form to confirm their agreement to share personal data with the coordinator in order to assist and facilitate their application for public services. The PPSN is given to the prisoner for their own records. The PPSN is used on the relevant application and is not retained or stored by either the resettlement or ISM coordinator at this time.