A Guide To Your Rights

Data protection is a fundamental right under Article 8 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. This means:

• You have the right to have your personal data protected.
• Your data must be used fairly, for clear purposes, and only when there is a legal reason.
• You can access your personal data and ask for it to be corrected if it’s wrong.
• An independent authority (the Data Protection Commission) ensures these rules are followed.

Galway County Council is committed to protecting your personal data in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

When Can Organisations Use Your Data?

Organisations, including Galway County Council, must have a lawful reason to collect or use your personal data. These reasons are:

• Consent – You’ve clearly agreed to it.
• Contract – It’s needed to carry out a contract with you.
• Legal obligation – It’s required by law.
• Vital interests – It’s needed to protect someone’s life.
• Public task – It’s necessary for a task carried out in the public interest.
• Legitimate interests – It’s in the organisation’s interest, unless it harms your rights.

Your Individual Rights

You have several rights under data protection law, including:

• The right to access your personal data
• The right to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• The right to object to how your data is used
• The right to have your data deleted in certain situations
• The right to restrict processing of your data
• The right to data portability
• The right not to be subject to automated decisions without human involvement

What If You Have a Concern?

Galway County Council takes data protection seriously and in line with legal requirements under the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 has a dedicated Data Protection Officer (DPO). 

The DPO’s role is to ensure that the Council complies with data protection laws, monitors internal practices, raises awareness, and acts as a point of contact for individuals with concerns about their personal data.