Privacy Policy

1. Your personal data – what is it?

Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data.  Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in Merrick House’s possession or likely to come into such possession. The processing of personal data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”).

2. Who are we?

Merrick House DAC is the data controller (contact details below).  This means it decides how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.

3. How do we process your personal data?

Merrick House complies with its obligations under the “GDPR” by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.

We use your personal data for the following purposes: –

• To enable us to provide services to our residents;
• To manage our employees and volunteers (e.g. directors, board of management);
• To maintain our own accounts and records;

4. What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?

• Processing is necessary for carrying out our obligations under employment, social security or social protection law;
• Processing is necessary for carrying out regulatory obligations such as our obligations to the Charities Regulator and the Housing Agency;
• Processing is necessary for protecting the legitimate financial and safety interests of Merrick House;
• Explicit consent of the residents so that we can support them with medical, financial and/or personal concerns.

5. Sharing your personal data
   Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with third parties when required to do so by law, to protect your vital interests or with your consent.
6. How long do we keep your personal data?
   We keep data in accordance with the guidance set out within Irish Data Protection Legislation.

Specifically, we retain resident’s data while they are still residing at Merrick House and up to 7 years afterwards; data relating to employees is kept as long as they remain in employment with Merrick House and up to 7 years afterwards.

7. Your rights and your personal data  

Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• The right to request a copy of your personal data which Merrick House holds about you;
• The right to request that Merrick House corrects any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date;
• The right to request that your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary for Merrick House to retain such data;
• The right to withdraw your consent to the processing of your data at any time;
• The right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (Ireland).

8. Further processing

If we wish to use your personal data for a new purpose, not covered by this Data Privacy Notice, then we will provide you with a new notice. The new notice will explain the new use of your personal data prior to commencing the processing. It will set out the relevant purposes and processing conditions. Where and whenever necessary, we will seek your prior consent to the new processing.

9. Contact Details

To exercise all relevant rights, queries of complaints please in the first instance, please contact Merrick House Chairperson via merrickhousedac@gmail.com

You can contact the Data Protection Commissioner (Ireland) on +353 (0761) 104 800; via email at info@dataprotection.ie or by writing to:  The Data Protection Commissioner, Canal House, Station Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois, R32 AP23