Privacy Policy

The Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Pathway for Just Transition Programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021-2027

You can read our Privacy Policy on Email Address Collection Here

For your convenience we have also included the info below:

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Use of Email Communications for Midlands Ireland Initiatives

Who we are and why do we require your information?

Laois County Council seeks to promote the economic, social and cultural development of County Laois and in doing so contribute significantly to improving the quality of life of its people. The delivery of high-quality services, tailored to meet the needs of all our customers, remains one of Laois County Council’s core objectives and is included in our Corporate Plan.

This quality service includes not only the level and quality of service given to our customers, but also the quality of our decision-making processes, the efficiency and effectiveness of our corporate operations, standard of our facilities and our ability to adapt in an ever-changing environment.

To provide the most effective and targeted range of services to meet the needs of the citizens, communities, and businesses of County Laois we will be required to collect, process and use certain types of information about people and organisations. Depending on the service being sought or provided, the information sought may include ‘personal data’ as defined by the Data Protection Acts and by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and may relate to current, past, and future service users; past, current, and prospective employees; suppliers; and members of the public who may engage in communications with our staff. In addition, staff may be required, from time to time, to collect, process and use certain types of personal data to comply with regulatory or legislative requirements.

Why do we have a privacy statement?

The delivery of high-quality services, tailored to meet the needs of all our customers, remains one of Laois County Council’s core objectives and is included in our Corporate Plan. This quality service includes not only the level and quality of service given to our customers, but also the quality of our decision-making processes, the efficiency and effectiveness of our corporate operations, standard of our facilities and our ability to adapt in an ever-changing environment.

Laois County Council has created this privacy statement to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy and to assure you that in all your dealings with Laois County Council that we will ensure the security of the data you provide to us. Laois County Council creates, collects, and processes a significant amount of personal data in various multiple formats on a daily basis. Laois County Council’s commitment is that the personal data you may be required to supply to us is;

  • Obtained lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner.
  • Obtained for only specified, explicit and legitimate purposes.
  • Adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary for purpose for which it was obtained.
  • Recorded, stored accurately and securely and where necessary kept up to date.
  • Kept only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was obtained.
  • Kept in a form which permits identification of the data subject.
  • Processed only in a manner that ensures the appropriate security of the personal data including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing.

Data Protection Policy

Laois County Council has a detailed Data Protection Policy which outlines how we as a public body are committed to ensuring the security of any personal data you provide to us https://laois.ie/wp-content/uploads/Agreed-Laois-County-Council-revised-Data-Protection-policy-2.pdf

What is the activity referred to in this Privacy Statement?

The use of email communications to:

  • Share updates on Midlands Ireland events and initiatives.
  • Promote networking opportunities and ICT-related activities across the region.
  • Occasionally conduct surveys to gather feedback and improve services.

What is the basis for making the processing of this personal data in this activity lawful?

In accordance with Article 6.1 (e) of the GDPR, processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in Laois County Council

Contact Details

To communicate with you, you will be asked for contact details. You do not have to provide all contact details but providing more, such as email, phone, address, makes it easier to communicate. Please note that to help protect your privacy, we take steps to verify your identity before granting access to personal data. These contact details may also be used to verify your identify.

What other items of personal data do we need to undertake this activity?

To add a company to the mailing list, we only require their name and email address.
If they choose to be included in a directory listing, we may later request additional information such as their organisation, job title, sector, and location, strictly for the purpose of improving network visibility and relevance. All data will be collected with consent and used in line with our data protection policy.

Is the personal data submitted as part of this activity shared with other organisations?

Laois County Council may, to fulfil statutory or regulatory obligations or in the public interest, from time to time, have to share personal data with other organisations or entities (in Ireland or abroad). Where this is required Laois County Council shall have regard to the security and integrity of the data and will minimise the data shared. In this process the data will be shared as follows:

Laois County Council will not share personal data collected through email communications with any external organisations. All information provided is used solely for the purpose of delivering updates about events, networking opportunities, and initiatives relevant to businesses and stakeholders across the Midlands region. We are committed to maintaining the privacy and security of your data and will only process it in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

In this activity, if the personal data is to be transferred to a different country, it will be transferred to the following countries (if there are no countries listed, it is not intended to transfer the personal data abroad):

Data is not transferred to another country.

How long is this personal data held by Laois County Council?

Laois County Council has a detailed record retention policy which goes into more detail of the period for which your personal data will be retained by Laois County Council and what will happen to it after the required retention period has expired. The data processed as part of this activity will be retained for the following period(s):

Contact details provided for inclusion in the Midlands ICT Network mailing list will be retained only for as long as the network remains active.
If individuals opt to be included in a public or member-accessible directory, additional information such as organisation, sector, and role may be collected with consent.
All records will be managed in accordance with the National Retention Policy for Local Authority Records, and securely deleted when no longer required. Please visit our Records Retention Policy on Laois County Council’s website for further details.

What will happen if the requested personal data is not provided?

If you choose not to provide your personal data, we may be unable to include you in communications about Midlands Ireland events and opportunities, which may limit your access to relevant updates and services.

Your Rights

You have the right to request access to personal data held about you, obtain confirmation as to whether data concerning you exists, be informed of the content and source of data and check its accuracy. In addition, if the data held by us is found to be inaccurate you have the right to change, remove, block, or object to the use of, personal data held by Laois County Council. You also have the right to data portability. In certain circumstances blocking access to data may delay or remove access to a service where the data is required by law or for essential purposes related to delivery of a service to you.

To exercise these rights, you should contact Laois County Council Data Protection Officer at the following:

Phone: – 057 8664000

E-mail: dataprotection@laoiscoco.ie

Postal Address: – Data Protection Officer, Áras an Chontae, Portlaoise, Co. Laois

Right of Compliant to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the response you received from Laois County Council in relation to your request, then you are entitled to make a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner who may investigate the matter for you.

The Data Protection Commissioner’s website is ‘dataprotection.ie’ or you can contact their office at:

Lo Call Number: 1890 252 231

E-mail: info@dataprotection.ie

Postal Address: Data Protection Commissioner, Canal House, Station Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois, R32 AP23.

Additional Information

At Midlands ICT Network, we are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and manage personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

What Information We Collect on this Website

We only collect the following types of personal data:

  • Email addresses voluntarily submitted by individuals who choose to join our mailing list.
  • Business details and contact information voluntarily submitted through our ICT Business Directory form.

We do not collect or store any other personal information, nor do we track or profile visitors.

How We Use Your Information We Collect on this Website

We only use your information for the specific purpose it was submitted:

  • If you sign up for our mailing list, we will only use your email to send you Midlands ICT Network updates, events, and relevant digital news.
  • If you submit your business to our directory, your listing will be reviewed and (if approved) published publicly on our website.

Only those who opt-in are subscribed (Directory applicants are automatically added).

We do not share your personal information with any third parties outside the Midlands ICT Network.