Department of Rural and Community Development (Register of Users)

Date: April 2019

Does your organisation use the PPSN at present?

Yes.

The PPS number is used as an integral part of administration of each staff member’s personnel record in the Department. It is primarily used within the HR function to record staff details on the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and the Payroll Shared Services system.

Finance Unit: The PPSN is used as a unique identifier in the case of certain businesses such as sole traders when setting them up as suppliers on our financial management system. The PPSN is also used in relation to DRCD employees who must be set up as suppliers on the system in order to receive certain payments eg refund of course fees, VDU Scheme payments.

It is used to confirm Tax Compliance in relation to applicants to the LEADER Programme.

Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme - operated by Pobal on behalf of DRCD (DRCD does not access the PPSNs) - PPSN is an optional data field, captured based on individual’s signed consent via the “SICAP Individual Data Consent Form”. Capturing PPSN helps to track individuals’ progress and economic status over time, and to assess programme outcomes in order to research and evaluate the programme and improve government services.

The PPS number may be exchanged with other government departments, as necessary. The main purpose for the exchange of the PPS number, concerns the transfer of staff to and from our department/to and from other departments.

The DRCD payment function is carried out by the Department of Justice, Killarney where the DRCD employees’ and external suppliers’ PPSN’s are used as unique identifiers.

Information is collected on the LEADER Funding Application form by Local Action Groups (LAG) or their Implementing Partners and inputted on the LEADER IT System. The PPSN is stored on the LEADER IT System and can be viewed by personnel engaged in Article 48 Administrative Checking from Pobal and the Lead Financial Partner of the LAG as provided for under Article 48 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 809/2014 to confirm Tax Compliance.

Pobal exchanges PPSN data with ESRI for a pre-employment study as per “Agreement on the Joint Research Programme for SICAP”.

No.

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)

The 8 principles of Data Protection are observed by the Department in relation to the PPS number, in order to ensure employee data is safeguarded and protected.

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 Public Service Identity data and the obligations placed on HR Units by the General Data Protection Regulations.

PPSN’s are only used by the Finance Unit for the purposes outlined above. Hard copies are stored securely in the Unit and electronic records are stored on the Finance Unit shared drive which can only be accessed by the relevant staff. Reviews are carried out on an annual basis to ensure that no data in relation to DRCD employees is held unnecessarily.

The LEADER Programme has adequate measures in place to ensure that the PPSN data is secure and is processed and accessible only for the stated purposes.

Pobal’s system has access controls in place, including role-based permissions. External organisations must complete a user mandate form in compliance with the system user policy. The SICAP Individual Data Consent Form specifically seeks signed consent to process PPSN data. Password protected file transferred to ESRI via secure portal.