DAERA Privacy Statement

Contacts

Data Control Name

DAERA Data Protection Officer (DPO)

A hard copy of this Privacy Statement is available to download from the following page:

• DAERA Privacy Statement

Why are you processing my personal information?

The Department takes data protection, freedom of information and environmental information issues seriously. It takes care to ensure that any
personal information received from you is dealt with in a way which complies with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act (2018). This means that any personal information you supply will be processed principally for the purpose for which it has been provided. However, the Department is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided for this purpose. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for the audit or administration of
public funds, in order to prevent and detect crime.

In addition, the Department may also use it for other legitimate purposes in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, Data Protection
Act 2018, Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

These include:

• the full range of departmental policy responsibilities;
• the production and safety of food;
• all financial support schemes;
• management of land and other environmental controls;
• animal health and welfare;
• statutory schemes and obligations in the areas of plant health and crop certification;
• occupational health and welfare;
• regulatory and natural resources policy;
• legislation relating to the Northern Ireland Environmental Agency;
• the prevention and detection of fraud or maladministration (e.g. The Comptroller & Auditor General and HM Revenue & Customs);
• compilation of statistics;
• disclosure to other organisations when required by law to do so;
• disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 where such disclosure is in the public interest;
• administration of UK wide schemes on behalf of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Great Britain;
• business development and knowledge advisory service for farmers, growers and food processors;
• statistical and research purposes; this may include linking or combining the information with data from Arms Length Bodies, government departments or other public bodies;
• delivering education and training programmes;
• corresponding with you in connection with the above activities.

The Department uses artificial intelligence to benefit customers and to support the Departmental strategic priorities in accordance with the DAERA Artificial Intelligence Policy: “Securely Maximising the Benefits of Artificial Intelligence”. DAERA will not use artificial intelligence for
automated decision-making in relation to your personal data in any way.

What is the lawful basis for using your personal data?

In order to comply with data protection legislation, we must have a lawful basis for processing any personal data and at least one of the following
must apply:

1. Consent: an individual must give clear consent for us to process their personal data and then only for a specific purpose;
2. Contract: the processing is necessary for a contract the department has with an individual, or because they have asked the individual to take specific steps before entering into a contract;
3. Legal obligation: the processing is necessary for the department to comply with the law (not including contractual obligations);
4. Vital interests: the processing is necessary to protect someone’s life;
5. Public task: the processing is necessary for the department to perform a task in the public interest or for our official functions, and the task or function has a clear basis in law.

Where do you get my personal data from?

The Department will collect your information primarily from applications for services and subsequent information that you provide to us, as the data subject, in relation to the provision of these services. The Department may also collect additional information from other agencies that is necessary to provide the services requested.

The Department will also maintain and update your data with any information you subsequently share with us in order to ensure your data is factual, accurate and up-to-date.

Do you share my personal data with anyone else?

Data sharing takes place for legitimate reasons, to support the business purposes for which it was supplied. If we need to share your personal
data, it will be done so under contract which will require the processor to protect the data and act only in regard to DAERA business purposes.

We may share your data with:

• enforcement agencies for the prevention or detection of crime;
• tax and customs authorities, when requested by them to do so;
• selected third party processors who are contracted to deliver services in support of the Departmental strategic priorities;
• the emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive for NI;
• NI Direct;
• third party ICT systems to support contractors who maintain our ICT systems which hold your personal data.

We may need to share information for more than one reason and not all of your personal information may need to be shared each time.
We aim to ensure that the personal information shared and the instances of sharing are limited to what is needed for the specific purpose and in
line with the data protection legislation.

Do you transfer my personal data to other countries?

Sometimes it may be necessary to transfer personal information overseas. When this is needed, information may be transferred to countries or
territories around the world. Any transfers made will be in full compliance with all aspects of the General Data Protection Regulations (2016).

How long do you keep my personal data?

We will retain your data only for as long as necessary to comply with legislation, and/or where there is a business need to do so (i.e. for the
administration of your application and/or payment). Your data will be kept in line with our Retention and Disposal Schedule.

Changes to this Privacy Statement

We will make changes to this statement from time to time, particularly when we change how we use your information or the services we provide.
You can always find an up-to-date version of this notice on our website at the link below:

• DAERA Privacy Statement

You can also contact the DAERA Data Protection Officer should you require further information (contact details given below, should you require
further information). This privacy statement was last updated on 1 May 2018.

What rights do I have?

• The right to be informed
• The right of access
• The right to rectification
• The right to erasure
• The right to restrict processing
• The right to data portability
• The right to object
• Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling

Should you require any further information on your rights in relation to the data we collect or process, please contact the DAERA Data
Protection Officer in the first instance.

How do I complain if I am not happy?

If you are unhappy with any aspect of this privacy statement, or how your personal information is being processed, please contact DAERA Data Protection Officer at:

If you are still not happy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):