Data protection
The Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provide similar rights of access as the Freedom of Information (FOI) Acts, the main difference being that the Data Protection Acts do not apply to records of deceased persons.
The GDPR gives you greater control over your personal information, including the right to access your data. You can make a request for access to your personal data using this form.
As with the FOI Acts, these rights include your own personal records and, in specific circumstances, those of your children. There are exemptions provided for in the Acts. This means that there are specific circumstances when the requested information will not be released. If any of these exemptions are used to withhold information, the reasons will be clearly explained to you.
QQI, as a data controller, must meet its obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 as outlined below:
- Obtain and process information fairly
- Keep it only for one or more specified, explicit and lawful purposes
- Use and disclose it only in ways compatible with these purposes
- Keep it safe and secure
- Keep it accurate, complete and up to date
- Ensure that it is adequate, relevant and not excessive
- Retain it for no longer than is necessary for the purpose
- Provide an individual with a copy of his/her personal data on request
Our data protection officer can be contacted at dpo@qqi.ie.
You may use either the Freedom of Information Act or the Data Protection Act to access personal information held by public bodies. However, the Data Protection Act applies only to your own personal information (or, in certain circumstances, that of your child). No fee applies unless the workload is exceptional.
A decision will, in normal circumstances, be issued within 30 days of receipt of your request.
Details of your entitlement to complain to the Data Protection Commissioner will be included in the decision letter.
To make an access request under the Data Protection Act 2018, please send your request in writing to:
The Data Protection Officer,
Quality and Qualifications Ireland
26-27 Denzille Lane
Dublin 2
DO2 P266
dpo@qqi.ie
Please ensure that you describe the records you seek in the greatest detail possible to enable us to identify the relevant records.
Information about Data Protection legislation may be found at the website of the Data Protection Commission.
