Westmeath Genealogy Data Protection Policy

Westmeath Genealogy Data Protection Policy

  • Policy prepared by: Bernie Norris
  • Approved by on: Caroline Ganley
  • Policy became operational on: 25th May 2018 (reviewed: 23rd June 2020)
  • Next review date: 23rd June 2021

Westmeath Genealogy needs to gather and use certain information about individuals.

These can include clients, business contacts, and other people the organisation has a relationship with or may need to contact.

This policy describes how this personal data must be collected, handled and stored to meet the company’s data protection standards — and to comply with the law.

Why this policy exists

This data protection policy ensures Westmeath Genealogy:

  • Complies with data protection law and follows good practice
  • Protects the rights of staff & clients.
  • Is open about how it stores and processes personal data
  • Protects itself from the risks of a data breach

Data protection law

General Data Protection Regulation describes how organisations — including Westmeath Genealogy must collect, handle and store personal information. These rules apply regardless of whether data is stored electronically, on paper or on other materials.

To comply with the GDPR, personal information must be collected and used fairly, stored safely and not disclosed unlawfully.
Data protection principles
Westmeath Genealogy is committed to processing data in accordance with its responsibilities under the GDPR.
Article 5 of the GDPR requires that personal data shall be:

  1. processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to individuals;
  2. collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes; further processing for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes shall not be considered to be incompatible with the initial purposes;
  3. adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed;
  4. accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date; every reasonable step must be taken to ensure that personal data that are inaccurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed, are erased or rectified without delay;
  5. kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data are processed; personal data may be stored for longer periods insofar as the personal data will be processed solely for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes subject to implementation of the appropriate technical and organisational measures required by the GDPR in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals; and
  6. processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures.”

2. General provisions

  1. This policy applies to all personal data processed by Westmeath Genealogy.
  2. The Responsible Person shall take responsibility for Westmeath Genealogy ensuring ongoing compliance with this policy.
  3. This policy shall be reviewed at least annually.

3. Lawful, fair and transparent processing

  1. To ensure its processing of data is lawful, fair and transparent.
  2. Individuals have the right to access their personal data and any such requests made to Westmeath Genealogy shall be dealt with in a timely manner.

4. Lawful purposes

  1. All data processed by Westmeath Genealogy must be done on the following lawful base of: consent
  2. Where consent is relied upon as a lawful basis for processing data, evidence of opt-in consent shall be kept with the personal data.
  3. Where communications are sent to individuals based on their consent, the option for the individual to revoke their consent should be clearly available and systems should be in place to ensure such revocation is reflected accurately.

5. Data minimisation

  1. Westmeath Genealogy shall ensure that personal data are adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed.

6. Accuracy

  1. Westmeath Genealogy shall take reasonable steps to ensure personal data is accurate.
  2. Where necessary for the lawful basis on which data is processed, steps shall be put in place to ensure that personal data is kept up to date.

7. Archiving/removal

  1. To ensure that personal data is kept for no longer than necessary, Westmeath Genealogy shall put in place an archiving policy for each area in which personal data is processed and review this process annually.
  2. The archiving policy shall consider what data should/must be retained, for how long, and why.

8. Security

  1. Westmeath Genealogy shall ensure that personal data is stored securely onsite.
  2. Access to personal data shall be limited to personnel who need access and appropriate security should be in place to avoid unauthorised sharing of information.
  3. When personal data is deleted this should be done safely such that the data is irrecoverable.

9. Breach

In the event of a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data, Westmeath Genealogy shall promptly assess the risk to people’s rights and freedoms and if appropriate report this breach to the Data Protection Commission.

Responsibilities

Everyone who works for or with Westmeath Genealogy has some responsibility for ensuring data is collected, stored and handled appropriately.

Each person that handles personal data must ensure that it is handled and processed in line with this policy and data protection principles.

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