Last updated: 25 May 2018

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) collect personal information in the course of communications with our customers via website contact forms, via email and over the phone. This includes names and contact details provided directly by customers. Customers are not required to supply personal data and may choose not to.

This personal information is used only for the purpose for which it was collected. For example, to answer a query, to log a complaint, for email notifications. Depending on how the communication was received, it is stored digitally or if paper-based, filed securely in our offices. It is kept only as long as required for processing and is then deleted or destroyed. The retention period will be decided based on the nature of the communication.

For example -

• General queries & feedback: Deleted as soon as the query is dealt with. Open queries are reviewed for deletion after three months.
• Complaints: Where a customer complaint is received, it is investigated and a record retained for a period of six years. We retain this information in the interest of providing a high quality public service.

Only the staff of the Central Statistics Office who are processing the communication have access to this personal data. We do not disclose this personal data to any third parties.

The CSO respects the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation and the rights of the individual as defined therein.

This policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and may be updated from time to time.