An information pack is now available to help parishes meet the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is coming into effect on 25th May 2018. This will affect all parishes, in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as it replaces existing law on data protection and gives individuals more rights and protection in how their personal data is being used by organisations.
The pack is available on the Parish Resources section of the Church of Ireland website (http://bit.ly/2DQV09z) and includes a guide to GDPR, an information poster, a compliance checklist, and sample templates and forms.
Personal data is information about a living person which is capable of identifying them e.g. their name, date of birth, address, Personal Public Service Number or National Insurance Number. Parishes must comply with the GDPR’s requirements, in the same way as any other charity or organisation. If charities are not compliant, they can face a fine of up to 4% of their turnover or €20m (or the equivalent in sterling), whichever is larger. Charities will also face fines if they cannot tell individuals what information they are holding about them.
If you have any questions please contact Rebekah Fozzard, Special Projects Manager at the Representative Church Body, by email at rebekah.fozzard@rcbdub.org