Data Protection European Parliament Election Notice

Each political party and independent candidate in a European Parliament election is entitled to send one election letter to each household in their constituency.  This is known as Litir Um Thoghcháin.  Under the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act, 2011, An Post is designated as the postal provider for Litir Um Thoghcháin.

To ensure that each elector receives the Litir Um Thoghcháin prior to an election, all Local Authorities provide An Post with a copy of their current electoral register.  An Post arranges the electoral register to make it suitable for posting purposes (“postal data”).  This postal data is then supplied by An Post to the carefully selected printers who print up and address the Litir Um Thoghcháin on behalf of political parties and independent candidates.  After the election the printers destroy the postal data.

An Post only uses the copy electoral register for Litir Um Thoghcháin purposes and no other purposes.  An Post retains the copy register for one year after which it is destroyed and then it receives a copy of the new electoral register.  

Data Subject Rights

Any queries or Data Subject Access Requests (“DSAR”) on data held in the electoral register should be directed to the Local Authority with whom you are registered.  An Post is legally obliged to deliver the Litir Um Thoghcháin to every household so a data subject cannot object to An Post doing so.  An Post cannot erase your details from its copy of the electoral register.   You may lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission if you believe that your data protection rights have been breached.