The Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 are designed to protect people's privacy. They give effect to the Council of Europe Data Protection Convention. The Acts confer rights on individuals in relation to the privacy of their personal data as well as responsibilities on those persons holding and processing such data. 

Personal data means data relating to a living person who is or can be identified from the data itself or in conjunction with other information that is in, or is likely to come into, the possession of the Authority. This data can be held on computers or in manual files. 

You may use the Data Protection Acts to access personal information held by the Authority. Access under Data Protection Acts applies only to your own personal information.

An application for access to personal information may be made by post, electronically or by telephone. Alternatively you can complete the web request form. Please note, however, that we may require you to provide additional information necessary to confirm your identity. Your request should be as specific as possible, to quickly identify if the particular data is held and where it is held. A response to an access request will issue as soon as is possible and in any event within one month of a complete request being lodged. 

Sections 4 & 5 of the Data Protection Acts sets out a small number of circumstances in which the right to access personal records can be limited. This is necessary in order to strike a balance between the rights of the individual, on the one hand, and some important needs of civil society, on the other hand.