Data subjects' rights - how to apply
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have a right to obtain a copy of any personal information relating to you.
To make an access request you should contact us at subjectaccessrequest@education.gov.ie or write to us at Information Access, Department of Education, Block 2, Marlborough Street, Dublin 2.
Please tell us exactly what information you are seeking to access. To assist you and to guide us, please complete and forward the Department’s Subject Access Request (SAR) application form below.
Subject Access Request (SAR) application form
Request for Access to Personal Data under the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018
DownloadYou may be asked to provide proof of identity as outlined below in order for us to process your request.
We will respond to your data access request within one month. Usually we will send you our response by email or by post.
A copy of photographic identification, such as a passport or driver’s licence, and a copy of a recent utility bill or official letter, may be required. This is because we must be satisfied of your identity before releasing any personal information to you. You can e-mail or post copies of your photographic identification and utility bill to us. We will only be able to start processing your request once we receive this information.
In some instances, your right to access your personal information is limited by the acts. For example:
The Department of Education does not have to comply with your access request if it would result in disclosing data about another person, unless that other person has consented to the disclosure. So, if we have a record that contains your personal data as well as another person’s data, unless we have permission from the other person, we may be limited in what data we can give you. We will give you as much of the information as we can, without identifying the other person.
The Data Protection Commission held a public consultation on the issue of how best exercise children’s rights under GDPR while balancing them against other rights, including those of parents/guardians. It is expected that they will issue clear guidance on these matters in the future but until that point the Department will ensure that:
Until the guidance is received from the Data Protection Commission, the Department will adopt the following approach when subject access requests are received in relation to children’s’ data:
Further information on your rights can be found on the Data Protection Commissioner’s website (www.dataprotection.ie). The website also includes contact information for the Data Protection Commissioner and explains how to submit a complaint, if you are not satisfied with our response to your request.
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