In May 2018, the European Union (EU) introduced a new law (Regulation 2016/679) on data protection and privacy for all individuals living within the EU.
This means that any organisation that requests personal information from you must ask for your permission and explain to you how they will store and/or share that information. It is therefore required that we ask for your consent to collect and record your data via this form.

Continue scrolling to see the rest of the GDPR statement >>

If you do not give us permission to collect and store your data, it is not possible to for us to work with you or on your behalf.

Please read our data protection statement in full here:

INTRODUCTION:
This document explains your rights in relation to your personal information, known as data, that the Irish Refugee Council processes (stores, collects or records).
It also explains the obligations on us if you give us consent to store your data.

YOUR DATA:
It is necessary for the Irish Refugee Council, in its work supporting you and protecting and advancing your interests in relation to your application for asylum, a family reunification application, your accommodation, education and employment needs or other issues relating to your integration into Irish society, to keep data relating to you. This personal data includes:

Name, address, phone and email
Gender
Age

It may also be necessary to process special, sensitive personal data relating to:
Your racial or ethnic origin

Political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership
Data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation
Housing and accommodation issues
Reasons why you have left your country and cannot return

We also record when and how we help you. For example that we gave you information and advice on a particular subject on a particular day.

WHERE DO WE HOLD THIS DATA?
This information is stored on folders on our computers that are password protected. It is also stored on a database called Salesforce that is password protected. It is also stored in paper format in locked filing cabinets.

CONSENT
Your personal data belongs to you alone and we can only use your data when you give us explicit consent. Below we ask you to give consent to keep your data. You can withdraw your consent at any time. To do so please write to the Data Controller, Irish Refugee Council, 37 Killarney Street, Dublin 1 requesting your data. We will respond and acknowledge your withdrawal in 30 days and your data will be destroyed.

HOW WILL YOU USE MY DATA?
Your data will be used for the purpose of providing you with an advocacy and support service in relation to your application for asylum, a family reunification application, your accommodation, education and employment needs or other issues relating to your integration into Irish society. We will also use anonymised data for the purposes of research and statistical monitoring.

WHO IS IN CHARGE OF MY DATA?
A Data Controller is someone who is responsible for your data and who must make sure that your data is processed according to the law. For example they are responsible for making sure that the information held about you is accurate and that it is kept secure. The CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, Nick Henderson, is the Data Controller. His email address is: [email protected] and telephone number is 01 7645854.

WILL WE SHARE YOUR DATA?
Everything you tell us will be treated confidentially, however we may suggest that you go to another organisation for advice or support because they will be better able to help you with all or part of your needs. We are able to refer you to them and help get you an appointment. Ideally we would also give them the information you have given us with your permission. If you give consent below, you are agreeing that we may refer you to other local service providers; make appointments with other advice providers on your behalf; share your personal information with other service providers so that they have initial information about you and your possible needs.

SHARING YOUR DATA WITH THE IRISH GOVERNMENT AND RELEVANT AGENCIES

It may also be necessary for us to make submissions, statements, representations to the Irish Government and relevant agencies such as the International Protection Office in order to further your application for international protection/family reunification/other. We will never share your data with the Irish Government without your prior written consent. If we need to contact the Irish Government on your behalf, a caseworker will discuss this with you directly and obtain your prior written consent (with signature) in the form of a letter of authority. Please see an example of a letter of authority here:

[Date]
                  
I, [insert name], give the Irish Refugee Council’s drop in service permission to communicate with The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) on my behalf in relation to accommodation.
                  
[signature]
                  

SHARING YOUR DATA WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
It may also be necessary for us to make submissions, statements, representations to the Department of Justice to further your application for international protection/family reunification/other. You will be asked to give specific consent to us to share this data.

CAN I WITHHOLD MY CONSENT?
Yes you can. We will not record your information unless you provide your consent for us to do so. However we may not be in a position to support you further without your consent if you are to be registered for our service as some information is required for us to be able to support you.

HOW LONG WILL WE HOLD YOUR DATA FOR?
It is necessary to hold data about you for 6 years. This is because your case may require assistance over a period of time. For example it can take several years for an application for asylum to be decided and you may also have queries around education, employment, accommodation or family reunification after a decision has been made on your claim. You may also need assistance in the future, on another matter, and it helps us to have information about you to refer to. After 6 years your data will be destroyed either by being deleted if on a computer or shredded if in paper format.

CAN I HAVE A COPY OF THE DATA WE HOLD?
You have a right to ask for a copy of your information and to correct any inaccuracies. Please write to the Data Controller, Irish Refugee Council, 37 Killarney Street, Dublin 1 requesting your data. We will respond in 30 days.

WHO DO I COMPLAIN TO IF I AM UNHAPPY ABOUT HOW MY DATA HAS BEEN STORED?
You have a right to complain if you are unhappy about how you think your data has been handled. Please write to the Data Controller, Irish Refugee Council, 37 Killarney Street, Dublin 1 requesting your data. We will respond in 30 days. You can also write to the Data Protection Commissioner.

CORRECTING MISTAKES IN MY DATA
You also have the right to correct mistakes in the data that we hold about you. To do so, please write to the Data Controller, Irish Refugee Council, 37 Killarney Street, Dublin 1 requesting your data. We will respond in 30 days.