General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

On the 25th May 2018 the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect. In Ireland GDPR has been given legislative effect in the new Data Protection Act 2018. This new legislation updates the current law in relation to data protection and seeks to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union including Ireland. It grants new and enhanced rights for all individuals in relation to their own personal information. An individual about whom data is held by an organisation is referred to as a data subject.

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is the state education and training authority for the Limerick and Clare region established by the Education and Training Boards Act 2013. To fulfil its statutory obligations the ETB gathers, stores and processes large amounts of data on a variety of data subjects. This would include students, learners, staff, third parties and members of the public. This personal data can range from some personal details and CCTV footage to financial transactions. Personal data is any data that permits an individual to be identified.

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is committed to a policy of protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals with respect to the processing of their personal data. The Data Protection regulations and legislation require the staff of the ETB to process data fairly and to ensure the security of that data. Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is required to:

  • explain why personal data is being gathered
  • outline the purpose for which it will be used
  • only gather the minimum amount of data necessary
  • inform persons whether the ETB will share data with anyone else
  • only keep data for as long as it is needed
  • protect data from loss or theft
  • keep data accurate and up to date
GDPR places restrictions on what Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is allowed to do with personal data, such as passing personal information on to third parties, transferring information outside the EU or using it for direct marketing.

GDPR also provides individuals with important rights. GDPR therefore:

  • reinforces the right of a person to ask for a copy of all personal data held relating to them personally
  • gives a right to object to direct marketing practices,
  • allows a person to ask for inaccuracies in their personal data to be corrected,
  • give a right to data portability,
  • in certain cases it allows for personal data to be erased,
  • gives the right to seek compensation through the courts where privacy rights have been infringed.

Also, under the new legislation the digital age of consent has been set at 16. This means that social media and other online companies will need parental consent where they wish to use the personal data of a child under the age of 16 for marketing purposes or for creating personality profiles.

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board has developed a range of policies that must be adhered to in order to comply with GDPR. These policies are available here on our website.

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board has appointed a Data Protection Officer as the point of contact for all data privacy queries that you may have, including subject access requests. This Data Protection Officer is appointed on an interim basis. Her name and contact details are:

Joanne O’Brien
Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board
Marshal House
Dooradoyle Road,
Limerick, V94 HAC4
Data Protection Policy

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board has developed a Data Protection Policy in order to supplement its Privacy Policy. This is in order to be transparent and accountable to data subjects in relation to the processing of their personal data. To download a copy of the policy, click here. Click here to download a copy of our Employee Privacy Notice. Click here to download a copy of our Student Privacy Notice (this also relates to their parents/guardians).

Our Data Retention Schedule is available here

Data Access Requests

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board will manage requests for access to records held or created by the ETB in the course of the performance of its functions. Under Administrative Access all appropriate information will be made available to the requester having regard to privacy, confidentiality and the public interest. As a matter of policy the ETB supports a client’s right to see what information is held about them within its service. Generally, access to a person’s own information should be provided administratively (subject to certain exceptions). The ETB will comply fully with its legal obligations under the Data Protection Acts 1988 -2018 and also under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.

To download a copy of our Access Requests Policy, click here.

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