About

Key Terms and Information

Outlined below (A-G) is a number of key terms and information on LYIT’s commitment to data protection and GDPR compliance.

  1. Personal Data

Information which relates to a living individual who is identifiable either directly from the data itself or from the data in conjunction with other information held by LYIT.  Personal information is any type of information that can identify a living person; LYIT will use a range of personal information, at different times for different purposes, to enable the provision of the careers service. 

Examples of personal data include:

  • Name, email, address, home phone number
  • The contents of an individual student file or HR file
  • A staff appraisal assessment
  • Details about lecture attendance or course work marks
  • Notes of personal supervision, including matters of behaviour and discipline.
  1. Sensitive Personal Data

Sensitive Personal Data (or Special Categories of Personal Data) relates to specific categories of data which are defined as data relating to a person’s racial origin; political opinions or religious or other beliefs; physical or mental health; sexual life, criminal convictions or the alleged commission of an offence; trade union membership. 

  1. Processing Data

Any operation or set of operations which is performed on Personal Data or on sets of Personal Data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction. The terms ‘Process’ and ‘Processed’ should be construed accordingly.

  1. Consent

Means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the Data Subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the Processing of Personal Data relating to him or her. In this context, “signifies” means that there must be some active communication between the parties. Thus, a mere non-response to a communication from the Institute cannot constitute Consent.

  1. Personal Data Breach

GDPR defines a “personal data breach” in Article 4(12) as “a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed”.  Examples of personal data breaches include:

  • Loss or theft of data or equipment
  • Inappropriate access controls allowing unauthorised use
  • Equipment failure
  • Unauthorised disclosure (e.g. email sent to the incorrect recipient)
  • Human error
  • Hacking attack.

The Data Protection Commissioner must be notified without undue delay and not later than 72 hours after becoming aware of the breach.

  1. Subject Access Requests and Data Subject Rights

GDPR gives data subjects the right to access personal information held about them by the Institute. The purpose of a subject access request is to allow individuals to confirm the accuracy of personal data and check the lawfulness of processing to allow them to exercise rights of correction or objection if necessary. However, individuals can request to see any information that Letterkenny Institute of Technology holds about them which includes copies of email correspondence referring to them or opinions expressed about them.

Data subjects have a number of rights under GDPR. These include:

  • Right of Access
  • Right to Rectification
  • Right to Erasure (sometimes referred to as the Right to be Forgotten)
  • Right to Restriction of Processing
  • Right to Data Portability
  • Right to Object to Direct Marketing
  • Right to Object to Automated Decision Making, including Profiling. 

If you wish to make an enquiry about data that relates to yourself, then please make a request in writing, by email or using the LYIT Subject Access Request Form, to:

Data Protection Officer
LYIT
Port Road
Letterkenny
Co Donegal
F92 FC93

E:  dpo@lyit.ie
T:  +353 74 918 6021

Any requests made to invoke any of the rights above must be dealt with promptly and in any case within 30 days of receiving the request. Members of staff should consult the Data Protection Officer for all data requests.

  1. Data Retention

Personal data must only be kept for the length of time necessary to perform the processing for which it was collected. Once information is no longer needed it should be disposed of securely. Retention periods are set based on good practice guidance and on a legal basis.