Data Protection

The GMIT Innovation Hub EMPOWER Programme holds and processes data about its prospective clients.

The EMPOWER Programme processes this personal data to carry out its business and administrative functions and to comply with statutory requirements.

This personal data is subject to the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Effective from 25th May 2018, the GDPR brings new and enhanced rights for individuals whose data is processed in the GMIT Innovation Hub.

Read More on GDPR

Privacy Notices

Individuals have the right to know what The EMPOWER Programme does with their personal data.

This information is provided in data protection/privacy notices below.

View All Information

This privacy notice explains how the GMIT Innovation Hub EMPOWER Programme (referred to henceforth as ‘the EMPOWER Programme’) collects, uses and shares your personal data. It also explains your rights in relation to the personal data we hold.

As a client (past, present or prospective) of the EMPOWER Programme, some of your personal data will be processed by us. GMIT is the data controller and all personal data that it holds & processes is subject to the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) from 25th May 2018.

The data held by the EMPOWER Programme is collected directly from yourself during the application and registration processes. During the course of the Programme, additional information is added to your record.

Personal information held by the EMPOWER Programme is treated with the highest standards of security and confidentiality in accordance with data protection legislation.

The EMPOWER Programme may share information between different internal departments within GMIT for operational reasons, only as is necessary and proportionate for the purposes intended.

What information do we collect about you?

The types of personal data processed by the EMPOWER Programme include, inter alia:

  • Name, date of birth, county, telephone numbers
  • Identification number
  • Addresses
  • Email address
  • Linkedin Details
  • Educational Qualifications
  • Business Idea
  • Business financial information
  • Business team members
  • Gender
  • CV (optional)
  • Image in CCTV footage/photography/filming
  • IP address, and the type of device you are using when visiting the Empowerher website on a mobile device

How do we use the information about you?

The EMPOWER Programme holds your personal data in order to implement and manage services & processes relating to your application, selection for the Programmes & registration. Without this information, the EMPOWER Programme would not be able to provide its services. The EMPOWER Programme only obtains & processes information required for these purposes. The EMPOWER Programme shares information internally within GMIT for operational reasons only as is necessary & proportionate for the purposes intended.

Under data protection law, we are required to ensure that there is an appropriate legal basis for the processing of your personal data, and we are required to let you know what that basis is. The primary legal bases that we use are:

  • processing that is necessary for the performance of our contract with you;
  • processing that is required under applicable law;
  • processing that is necessary in the public interest; and
  • processing where we have your consent (Event Bookings)

Where the processing of your personal data is based on your providing consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time by contacting the EMPOWER Programme or the Institute’s Data Protection Office (contact details below).

The purposes for which the EMPOWER Programme may process your personal information include:

  • To evaluate your application for the EMPOWER Programme
  • To support you whilst going through the Programme
  • To monitor and evaluate the client experience
  • To identify you and enable you to access resources
  • To enable effective communication with you
  • To manage GMIT facilities and services including computing, campus car parks
  • To ensure your health, safety and well-being
  • To provide information to organisations such as the Department of Justice and Equality in line with legal and government requirements
  • To comply with statutory reporting requirements
  • To produce reports and aggregated statistics for management and research purposes in order to plan and improve services
  • To administer voluntary surveys about your experience and the performance of the Programme
  • To create and publish print & electronic material (e.g. brochures, website, etc.) for promotional and archival purposes
  • To enable our continued contact with you after you complete the Programme (e.g. survey of participants through the Programme, alumni networks, marketing, etc.)
  • To respond to requests for information made under Data Protection legislation or Freedom of Information legislation.

Does the EMPOWER Programme share your data with any third parties?

Below are some examples of when the EMPOWER Programme will release data about you to third parties (i.e. outside GMIT) where we have a legitimate reason in connection with your application for and participation in the Programme.

The EMPOWER Programme may share your relevant personal data with bodies including the following:

  • Data Processors (sub-contractors used by GMIT in order to carry out a function for the Institute, e.g. cloud services provider Microsoft)
  • Department of Justice and Equality
  • Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices or other State Agencies involved in Enterprise
  • Direct mail agencies/printing companies to facilitate the delivery of mailshots
  • A selected Evaluation Committee reviewing and scoring the applications
  • Facilitators and Course Delivery and Guest Speakers on the EMPOWER Programme

This is not an exhaustive list and any other disclosures to third parties not listed here are made only where there is legitimate reason to do so and in accordance with the law.

Publications

Some participants will have their name & home town listed in local media.

Many EMPOWER Programme events are recorded and streamed/published on the GMIT website.

Individual Rights

You have the following rights, subject to certain exemptions, in relation to your data:

  • The right to be informed about the data processing the EMPOWER Programme holds
  • The right to request access to your personal data held by the EMPOWER Programme – to have a copy of the personal data that we hold about you
  • The right to rectification – to have inaccurate or incomplete personal data rectified
  • The right to erasure of personal data where there is no legitimate reason for the EMPOWER Programme to continue to process your personal data. If you exercise this right, the EMPOWER Programme will continue to hold some personal data which, for participants, will include name, business idea, date of birth and unique identification number, so that we do not inadvertently contact you in the future and to maintain your records for archive purposes.
  • The right to restrict the processing of personal data – you have the right to block the processing of your personal data in specific situations
  • The right to object – you can object to the processing of your personal data by the EMPOWER Programme in certain circumstances, including the sending & receipt of direct marketing material
  • The right to object to automated decision making & profiling. The EMPOWER Programme does not currently make decisions affecting applicants/participants by automatic means without human intervention.

In order to exercise any of the above rights please contact us using the contact details set out below.

Data Retention

The EMPOWER Programme will retain your personal data in accordance with our retention policy in our data inventories. The policy operates on the principle that we keep personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which we collected it. It is also kept in accordance with any legal requirements that are imposed on us. This means that the retention period for your personal data varies depending on the type of personal data.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your personal data is secure with us and with the data processors who act on our behalf. We are continuously taking technical and organisational steps to better protect your information. Data Protection training has been made available to all staff.

Website Privacy Policy

The EMPOWER Programme website privacy policy explains how data may be gathered about users of the EMPOWER Programme website.

How the EMPOWER Programme will contact you

We may contact you by telephone, email or post.

Questions & Complaints

If you are unhappy with the EMPOWER Programme’s handling of your personal data, or believe that the requirements of the Data Protection Act or GDPR may not be fully complied with, you should contact the Institute’s Data Protection Office in the first instance. You also have the right to submit a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner.

How to contact us

Please contact us if you have any questions about the information we hold about you or to request a copy of that information:

  • By email: dpo@gmit.ie
  • In writing: Data Protection Office, Room 1063, GMIT Galway Campus, Dublin Road, Galway

Data Controller:

Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway Campus, Dublin Road, Galway
Tel: +353 91 753161
Email: info@gmit.ie