Irish Wood Producers holds the privacy of members’ information in the highest regard. This policy discloses how we collect, use and safeguard the personal information members provide us.

Legal Basis for Processing Data

The Data Protection Bill provides that the processing of personal data shall be lawful where such processing is necessary and proportionate, i.e. that the data processing is limited to what is necessary for the purposes for which the data processed.  As per the IWP Memorandum of Association, a register of all members and their contact details are maintained by the company, to communicate with members, share information, offer training / information events and best meet their forest management needs.

Categories of Personal Data Concerned

Members submit their contact information via membership forms, event registration forms, emails, phonecalls and site visits.  Members also provide information about their forestry plantations and information relevant to providing an effective service.  IWP maintain the following information so the group can support members:

• A register of all members with their names, contact details and annual subscriptions.
• A forestry inventory for all members recording plantation age, species, area; active licences; grant details, maps and forest management priorities for each landowner.
• A timber sales database tracks all harvesting, timber and biomass sales, processing and haulage costs and refers to each member’s unique identification number.

Legal Basis for Processing Data

IWP only keeps data for purposes which are specific, lawful and clearly stated and the data will only be processed in a manner compatible with the stated purpose. IWP use personal information for the purposes of providing services as requested by members, to process payment, to prioritise forest activities and to communicate with members.  Information collected from members is used predominantly for two reasons:

• to support the management of members’ forestry
• to notify members of upcoming events / training courses

IWP store all information on a server, accessed only by the current IWP staff.  All hard copy files are stored at the company’s secure office at 35 South Street, New Ross, Co. Wexford.

Recipients or Categories of Recipients

We do not share, sell, lend or lease any of the information that uniquely identify a member except to provide services that members have requested.   Examples of legitimate disclosures specific to members are listed below:

• The Forest Service requests information relating to licence / grant requests to the Department
• The local authority requests information regarding a pending application
• The Health and Safety Authority queries activity on a forestry plantation

Period for which personal data will be retained / Subject Access Requests

The minimum amount of data is retained for all members.  Members can update / correct remove their personal information held by IWP on the annual subscription form or by contacting the IWP office.