½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï

Privacy Policy

Contents

  1. What Personal Data Do We Collect?
  2. Why Do We Retain Personal Data?
  3. How Do We Process Personal Data?
  4. Do We Share Personal Data?
  5. How Do We ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ïe Cookies?
  6. How Do We Protect Your
  7. Date Retention
  8. What Privacy Choices Are Available To You?
  9. What Are Your Rights?
  10. What Else Should You Know?
  11. Contact ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï

Preface

The ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï (the Data Controller), has developed this Privacy Policy to explain how we may collect, retain, process, share and transfer your Personal Data when you visit our Site and/or use our services in person and/or via email and/or phone consultation.  It does not apply to online websites or services that we do not own or control.

This Privacy Policy is designed to help you obtain information about our privacy practices and to help you understand your privacy choices when you use our sites and services. This Privacy Policy may be supplemented with additional notices.

We have defined some terms that we use throughout the Privacy Policy. You can find the meaning of a capitalised term in the Definitions section at the end of this policy.

Please contact us if you have questions about our privacy practices that are not addressed in this Privacy Statement. 

1. What Personal Data Do We Collect?

We collect Personal Data about you when you visit our website or use our services. This can include name, address, age, and personal circumstances, and can also include Special Category Personal Data such as health, sexual orientation, religion and relevant medical information

Examples include when you choose to obtain our services and/or receive information and support from our caseworkers – If you submit a query via one of our client intake forms you would be requested to provide information including your name, your email address and your comments or type of query you have. The information is required to understand and assess your query and to provide an accurate response with best information.  By doing so you are providing your Consent for our staff to review and process your query.

Other information we collect relates to your use of our website or services – We may collect additional information from or about you when you communicate with us, contact our office by phone, contact our office by email or respond to a survey. The additional information might be questioned to better understand and assess your query and to provide you with a best response and information available. Any personal information that you disclose by phone and/or attach and/ or submit in the email is not mandatory but by doing so you are providing your Consent for our staff to review and process your query. 

2. Why Do We Retain Personal Data?

We retain Personal Data in an identifiable format for the least amount of time necessary to fulfil our legal or regulatory obligations and for our operational purposes. We may retain Personal Data for longer periods than required by law if it is in our Legitimate interests and not prohibited by law. If your case is closed, we may take steps to mask Personal Data and other information, but we reserve our ability to retain and access the data for so long as required to comply with applicable laws. We will continue to use and disclose such Personal data in accordance with this Privacy Statement. 

3. How Do We Process Personal Data?

We may process your Personal Data for a variety of reasons that are justified under data protection laws in Ireland and in the European Union.

  • To operate and provide the services to you.
  • To manage our operational needs, such as monitoring, analysing, and improving the services. For example, we analyse service user queries and perform research about the way you use our services.
  • To comply with our obligations including to comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
  • To fulfil our obligations before our funders. We conduct statistical analysis and send annual, quarterly and monthly reports to our funders.
  • For our Legitimate interests, including to:
  • enforce the terms of our services;
  • manage our everyday operational needs, such as monitoring, analysing, reporting;
  • anonymise Personal data in order to provide aggregated statistical data to third parties, including our funders and members of the public, about how, when, and why users visit our Centre and use our services; and
  • provide personalised services (send you ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï Newsletter and updates). We may use your Personal Data and other information collected in accordance with this Privacy Statement to provide a targeted information in the form of the email updates and newsletter.
  • With your Consent, including:
  • To send to you updates about ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï services and Social Policy developments.
  • To respond to your requests, for example to contact you about a question you submitted to our caseworkers.

You can withdraw your Consent at any time and free of charge. Please refer to the section on Your Privacy Choices for more information on how to do that. 

4. Do We Share Personal Data?

We may share your Personal Data or other information about you with others (Data Processors) in a variety of ways as described in this section of the Privacy Statement. Here are the potential third parties we might share information with and reasons.

Third Party Description
Third Party Description
Any legal successors to the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï Where the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï transfers its business to another organisation or merges with another organisation.
The ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï Board of Trustees In conducting statistical and case analysis for the purposes of reporting, training and social policy. In the investigation of a complaint in accordance with our complaints procedures. In order to provide quality or case reviews.
ICT providers (for e.g. International Network Systems Limited (INS) Where ICT services such as hardware, software, network facilities, case management systems, telephone systems or similar are provided by or maintained by a Third Party.
Archiving companies Where we archive our files in facilities provided by a Third Party.
Funders (e.g. Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)) Where we are successful funding applicants, we are obliged to share statistical data and reports with our funders. No Personal data that identifies the person is shared, only anonymous data.

Depending on your circumstances, and with your authorisation, we may also share your data with other Third Party Data Processors:

Third Party Description
Third Party Description
Private organisations Where we engage with a private organisation on your behalf, for example, with a service provider.
Public bodies Where we refer you to a public body or assist you in accessing the services of a public body, for example, the Workplace Relations Commission.
Voluntary organisations Where we refer you to a voluntary organisation or assist you in accessing the services of a voluntary organisation, for example, the Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC).
Where we refer you to other NGOs or assist you in accessing the services of other NGOs, for example, Immigrant Council of Ireland; Crosscare; Focus Ireland and others.
Government departments /agencies Where we engage with a government agency or department on your behalf, for example, with a Department of Justice and/or Department of the Social Protection and/or An Garda Síochána.
Recruitment companies Where we use a Third Party to assist in recruitment competitions.
Interview panel members Where we interview you and a member of the panel is from an organisation external to the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï.
External organisations nominated by you Where you provide referees for to contact in relation to your application.
HR support companies or other advisers Where we require advice or support in relation to an aspect of your application or the recruitment process.
Insurance companies Where we engage with an insurance company in relation to an aspect of your application.
Government departments /agencies Where we engage with a government agency or department on your behalf, for example, with a Department of Justice and/or Department of the Social Protection and/or An Garda Síochána.
Law of courts/ Tribunals/ Workplace Relations Commission Where we engage with courts and/or Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on your behalf as your representative and advocate.

We also might share information with other third parties not outlined in this list if it is required by law, including:

  • if we need to do so to comply with a law, legal process or regulations;
  • to law enforcement authorities or other government officials, or other third parties pursuant to a subpoena, a court order or other legal process or requirement applicable to the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï;
  • if we believe, in our sole discretion, that the disclosure of Personal Data is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or in connection with an investigation;
  • to protect the vital interests of a person;
  • to protect our property, services and legal rights;
  • to support our audit, compliance, and governance functions.

With your Consent: We also will share your Personal Data and other information with your Consent to other third-parties. In addition, the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï may provide aggregated statistical data to third parties, including our funders and members of the public, about how, when, and why ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ïers visit our Centre and use our services. This data will not personally identify you or provide information about your use of our services. We do not share your Personal Data with third parties for their marketing purposes without your Consent. 

5. How Do We ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ïe Cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of information stored in your browser that help websites function and understand how they are used. We use cookies on our website to help it function properly and understand how our website is used. Some cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function and cannot be disabled through our cookie settings. We also use Google Analytics to collect information about how visitors use our website, such as which pages are visited and how visitors interact with our content. We use this information for statistical purposes and to help us improve our website, content and services. Analytics cookies are only used where you have given your consent. You can manage your cookie preferences and withdraw your consent at any time through our website cookie settings. Google processes information collected through Google Analytics on our behalf. For more information about how Google processes information, please see Google's Privacy Policy .

6. How Do We Protect Your Personal Data?

We maintain technical, physical, and administrative security measures designed to provide reasonable protection for your Personal Data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, and alteration. The security measures include firewalls, data encryption, physical access controls to our centre, and information access authorisation controls. While we are dedicated to securing our systems and services, you are responsible for verifying that the Personal Data we maintain about you is accurate and current. We are not responsible for protecting any Personal Data that we share with a third-party that you have authorised.

7. Data Retention 

We will retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. The organisation's Retention Period shall comply with legal and regulatory obligations including the EU GDPR, to meet safeguarding responsibilities, and to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

8. What Privacy Choices Are Available To You?

You have choices when it comes to the privacy practices and communications described in this Privacy Statement.

Choices Relating to the Personal Data We Collect

  • You may decline to provide Personal Data when it is requested by the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï, but certain services or all of the services may be unavailable to you.
  • Notices and Updates from ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï:
  • ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï Updates and Newsletter: We may send you Updates and Newsletter about our website, services and Social Policy updates through various communication channels, for example, email, text and messaging applications. You may opt out of these communications we send by following the instructions in the communications you receive.
  • Informational and Other: We will send communications to you that are required or necessary to send to ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ïers of our services, notifications that contain important information and other communications that you request from us. You may not opt out of receiving these communications. 

9. What Are Your Rights?

Subject to limitations set out in Irish and EU data protection laws, you have certain rights in respect of your Personal Data. In particular, you have a right of access, rectification, restriction, opposition, erasure and data portability. If you wish to complete an access request to all Personal data that the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï holds on you, please note that photo identity will be required to prove your identity.

You may exercise any of the above rights by emailing info@irishrefugeecouncil.ie

You may lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority with respect to our Processing of your Personal data. The supervisory authority in Ireland is the Data Protection Commissioner. The website is www.dataprotection.ie.

10. What Else Should You Know?

Changes to this Privacy Statement

We may revise this Privacy Statement from time to time to reflect changes to our website and services, or applicable laws. The revised Privacy Statement will be effective as of the published effective date. 

11. Contact ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï

You may contact us if you have general questions or concerns about this Privacy Statement or the way in which we handle your Personal Data.

You may send us written request via post to the following address:

½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï

37 Killarney St

Dublin 1

You may also send your request via email to:

info@irishrefugeecouncil.ie

If you are not satisfied by the way in which we address your concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Supervisory Authority for data protection. The supervisory authority in Ireland is the . 

Review of the Policy

This policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains appropriate, effective, and compliant with legal and regulatory developments. Amendments may be made in response to changes in technology, legislation, or organisational practice.

Definitions
Term Definition
Anonymisation The process of removing personally identifiable information so that an individual can no longer be identified.
Consent A freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous indication of an individual's wishes by which they agree to the Processing of their Personal data.
¶Ù²¹³Ù²¹â€µþ°ù±ð²¹³¦³ó A security incident that leads to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to Personal data.
¶Ù²¹³Ù²¹â€¯C´Ç²Ô³Ù°ù´Ç±ô±ô±ð°ù The organisation that determines the purposes and means of Processing Personal data.
¶Ù²¹³Ù²¹â€¯P°ù´Ç³¦±ð²õ²õ´Ç°ù Any individual or organisation that processes Personal data on behalf of the Data Controller.
Legitimate Interests A lawful basis for Processing Personal data where the charity has a genuine and legitimate reason to do so, provided it does not override an individual's rights and freedoms.
Personal Data Any information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual. This may include names, addresses, contact details, dates of birth, case records, photographs, and other information that can identify a person.
Processing Any operation performed on Personal data, including collecting, recording, organising, storing, using, sharing, amending, deleting, or destroying information.
Retention Period The length of time Personal data is kept before it is securely deleted, destroyed, or anonymised in accordance with legal and operational requirements.
Site This includes our office at 37 Killarney Street, Dublin 1, Ireland, D01 NX74, any other site at which we may have a presence conducting services, and our website and social media pages.
Special Category Personal Data Personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation shall be prohibited.
Third Party Any person or organisation other than the data subject, the charity, its employees, or organisations directly involved in Processing data on behalf of the charity.