Data Privacy Statement

Introduction  

Skillnet Ireland is committed to respecting and protecting your privacy. Working with the Department of Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science (DFHERIS) we are the national talent development agency. We provide training & business supports through our national Skillnet Business Network.  

This privacy statement tells you about your privacy rights and sets out how we, as a Controller, collect, use, process and disclose your personal data relating to your interactions with us.  

Contact Us

Skillnet Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee, trading as Skillnet Ireland with a registration number is 298694. To ask a question, or make a request, you can contact us in a way that is most convenient to you:

We check our emails and post every working day. We aim to respond to written queries within 5 working days. If we need more time to give you a complete answer, we will let you know why and tell you when you will hear back from us.   

We aim to answer calls promptly during business hours. If the line is busy or you call outside of office hours, you can leave a message, and we will return your call as soon as possible. We aim to answer calls promptly and return missed calls as soon as possible.

Privacy Policy

Our Data Protection Principles

We follow seven key principles when processing personal data.   

They are lawfulness, fairness & transparency; purpose limitation; data minimisation; accuracy; storage limitation; integrity & confidentiality; and accountability. 

Our Obligations

Skillnet Ireland is committed to achieving the highest standards of compliance with the EU Data Protection Legislation Framework. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that your personal data is: 

• Obtained fairly and with your knowledge. 
• Used only for the purpose for which it was collected. 
• Handled and stored securely. 
• Kept only as long as is necessary. 
• Never shared with third parties without your consent. 

Our data processing activities adhere to the GDPR and Irish Data Protection Acts 1988 – 2018 and are required under the provisions outlined above.  

Information We May Collect  

You can browse our site without telling us who you are. If you contact us or use our services we may collect your name, contact details, and other information needed to process your request. We also collect limited technical data through cookies (see our Cookie Policy). We may collect information about you in any of the following ways: 

Enquiries 

When you sign up for our newsletter, make contact by phone, email or use our website “contact us” page we will collect basic contact details, so we can respond to your request. You can browse our website without sharing your information (see our Cookie Policy). You are free to unsubscribe to any marketing related materials at any time. 

Training Programmes

When you sign up for a training programme or business supports, we will collect personal & business contact details for enrolment. We may also ask non-mandatory questions such as age & education level for attendee statistics. For more information, please refer to the Data Privacy Notices.  

Partnerships

To ensure we provide best in class training and supports your enrolment information will be shared between Skillnet Ireland, Skillnet Business Network and where relevant external training providers, so we can carry out our individual roles efficiently. 

Our role & responsibilities

We act as both a data controller and processor depending on your engagement with us and our network.  

Lawful Basis

Our lawful basis may include consent, contractual necessity, legal obligation and where necessary vital and public interest. Specific lawful basis are set out in our Data Privacy Notices. Skillnet Ireland needs to collect personal information to effectively carry out our everyday business functions and activities, to comply with relevant laws, and to provide our services. Skillnet Ireland is mandated by DFHERIS to effectively monitor the performance of the training programmes funded or partially funded by Skillnet Ireland. We perform compliance reviews, evaluations of the training programmes, and quality assurance and attendance at training verifications.  

How We Use Your Data

We only use your data for the purpose for which it was collected, for example to:  

• administer training programmes or funding applications;
• respond to your enquiries;
• send newsletters or updates if you have opted in;
• improve your user experience on our website.  

Cookies – Summary

We use essential cookies to analyse website traffic and improve functionality; without those you would not be able to browse our website. Nonessential cookies load only if you give consent.   

Full details are in our separate Cookie Policy.

Sharing

We do not sell your data. When you share your data with us, it will not be disclosed to any other third parties without your knowledge or consent. We may share it with service providers who work on our behalf, bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations, or where required by law. Sometimes we may be required to share your personal data to verify or validate certain information, such as participation on a course.  

Security and Storage

Skillnet Ireland operates and manages a bespoke database ‘Sonrai’ to store your personal data. ‘Sonraí’ is a cloud-based solution and information is hosted in a North European Data Centre that uses the Microsoft Azure platform to securely store our data. The file server is backed up to the cloud and backups are located in a datacentre in Slough, UK. All data uses AES-256-bit encryption Access to Sonrai is role-based and restricted to authorised personnel only.  

All data transfers are encrypted in transit and at rest, and regular audits are conducted to ensure compliance with data protection and cybersecurity best practices. Your personal data will be stored securely in line your permissions as set out at the time of collection and will not be shared with other third parties without your consent.  

We maintain data security by protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the personal data, defined as follows: 

• Confidentiality means that only people who are authorised to use the data can access it. 
• Integrity means that personal data should be accurate and suitable for the purpose for which it is processed.  
• Availability means that authorised users should be able to access the data if they need it for authorised purposes.  

We follow strict security procedures in the storage and disclosure of your personal data, and to protect it against accidental loss, destruction, or damage. The data you provide to us is transferred to an application which is protected using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology. SSL is the industry standard method of encrypting personal information and credit card details so that they can be securely transferred over the Internet. 

Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the stated purpose, or to meet legal obligations, after which it is deleted or anonymised. Full details of how long we retain data are in our Data Privacy Notices. 

Transfers outside the EEA

Where there is a need to share your personal data with any suppliers who are deemed to be outside the EEA, we will do so based on European Commission approved Standard Contractual Clauses. Skillnet Ireland will always ensure that there are appropriate safeguards in place to protect your personal data. We currently use a third-party supplier based in Northern Ireland as our partner in carrying out compliance activities. 

Your Rights

Under the GDPR and Data Protection Acts 1988 – 2018, you have the right to  

• be informed about how your personal data is being collected, processed, and used.
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data held by us.
• request that your personal data be erased under certain circumstances, such as when the data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected or if you are withdrawing your consent.
• request that the processing of your personal data be restricted under certain circumstances, such as when the accuracy of the data is contested, or the processing is unlawful.
• Receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit the data to another organisation.
• to object to the processing of your personal data for certain purpose, such as direct marketing, unless we can demonstrate legitimate grounds for processing.
• not to be subject to automated decision-making, including profiling, unless certain conditions are met.  

You can also find out more about Data Protection through the Data Protection Commissions website  

You can exercise any of these rights in a way that is most convenient to you. Please contact us to find out more.

Data Privacy Notices

If you are a Trainee or participating in a Skillnet Ireland funded Course, you can access the following Data Privacy Notices:  

• Trainee Data Privacy Notice
• ESF+ Data Privacy Notice

If you are not sure which Privacy Notice you should read, please ask your Training provider. 

Data Subject Requests

If you would like to make a data processing request, or if you have any questions about this policy or about our data protection compliance, please contact our DPO.

Your request should include the following: 

• your contact details,
• a note that the request is being made under the General Data Protection Regulation,
• the type of request being made,
• as much information as possible about the request so that we can accurately identify your data,
• written permission if someone is making a request on your behalf,
• proof of identity to validate that the requester is the data subject or has been granted permission to act on behalf of the data subject, and
• in what format you wish to receive any records released, such as paper copy or electronic copy. 

We will acknowledge your request and action promptly. If for some reason we cannot action your request, we will contact you and clearly explain the reason. 

For all data subject requests, proof of identity is required to verify that the request is being made by the data subject or acting on behalf of the data subject. We accept copies of your National ID Card, driving licence or passport. In certain circumstances we may request additional proof, such as a utility bill that is not older than 3 months. You will not be charged a fee to exercise any of your rights  

Complaints

Data subjects have the right to make a complaint at any time to a data protection supervisory authority in relation to any issues related to our processing of their personal data. As our organisation is in Ireland and we conduct our data processing here, we are regulated for data protection purposes by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner. If you have any concerns, or wish to make a complaint, you can contact the Data Protection Commissioner in any of the following ways: 

FAQ’s

Q 1. Who looks after my personal data?

Skillnet Ireland and Skillnet Business Networks and third parties acting on our behalf.  

Q 2. Why do you collect my data?

We need it to run training programmes, keep records required by law, improve our services, and—only if you say yes—send you updates.  

Q 3. What personal information do you hold about me?

Usually we just hold:  

• Contact details (name, email, phone) 
• Job info (title, employer, sector) 
• Training records (courses you book or attend) 
• Website analytics (cookies) if you accept them  

We never collect more than we need.  

Q 4. Who else gets my data?

Only trusted partners, such as course trainers, cloud-hosting companies, or regulators, when they genuinely need it and under contract. We never sell your information.  

Q 5. Do you send data outside Europe?

Sometimes we rely on secure cloud services. When that happens, we rely on EU “Standard Contractual Clauses” or an EU adequacy decision to keep your data protected. If your data is being stored outside Europe, we will record this in the Data Privacy Notice.  

Q 6. How long do you keep my information?

• Training records: 7 years after the programme ends.
• Newsletter details: until you unsubscribe.
• Analytics data: 14 months.  

After that, we delete or anonymise it.  

Q 7. What rights do I have under the GDPR?

You can:  

• Get a copy of your data.
• Correct anything that is wrong.
• Delete data we no longer need.
• Object to certain uses.
• Restrict how we use it.
• Move your data elsewhere (portability).  

Q 8. How do I make a request?

Contact us with the right you wish to use, and enough information to confirm your identity.  

We will reply within one month (or tell you why we need longer).  

Q 9. Can I stop marketing emails?

Yes—click “unsubscribe” in any email or contact marketing@skillnetireland.ie.  

Q 10. Where can I find privacy details for a specific training programme?

If you are participating in a Skillnet funded training course, please refer to our Data Privacy Notices, or ask for details from your training provider.  

Q 11. How do you keep my data safe?

We use encryption, access controls, regular security testing, and staff training. Only people who need to see your data can access it.  

Q 12. Do you use my data for automated decisions or profiling?

We do not make decisions that could affect you solely by automated means. 

Q 13. What if I am unhappy with how you handled my data?

Please contact our DPO first—most issues are resolved quickly. If you are still unhappy you can complain to the Data Protection Commission (www.dataprotection.ie).