Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Help

nidirect website privacy notice

This page explains what information is gathered when using the nidirect website and nidirect feedback or enquiry forms. It also explains the purpose for using this information, how it is used and for how long it is kept.

Department of Finance privacy information

This privacy notice is for the nidirect website (www.nidirect.gov.uk) only. The privacy notice for the NI Direct Identity Assurance (NIDA) service (your nidirect account is available at Enterprise Shared Services – privacy notices.

Digital Shared Services (DSS), a Directorate of Enterprise Shared Services (ESS) within the Department of Finance, is responsible for the provision of IT infrastructure services for the NI Civil Service, including the nidirect website (www.nidirect.gov.uk) and some wider public sector organisations.

To carry out its functions, DSS processes a range of personal information. This Privacy Information Statement relates to the nidirect website. The type of data held and the reasons DSS are required to process it are set out below.  The Department of Finance is the data controller of the information, unless otherwise stated and is committed to protecting your privacy at all times when using your personal data.

Data Controller

Data Controller

Department of Finance
Clare House
303 Airport Road
Belfast
BT3 9ED

Data Protection Officer

Data Protection Officer
Information Management Unit
Room 20, Dundonald House
Upper Newtownards Road
Belfast
BT4 3SB

Types of personal data collected

The personal data the nidirect website collects from you includes:

  • any personal information you have voluntarily provided through customer feedback and enquiry forms
  • your postcode and address if you use an nidirect service that includes a postcode or address lookup function (such as the find a GP practice service)
  • your Internet Protocol (IP) address, and details of which version of web browser you used
  • information on how you use the site, using cookies and page tagging techniques

Use of cookies

Where you provide your consent, the nidirect website uses Google Analytics and New Relic cookies to collect information about how you use the site.

Google Analytics processes information about:

  • the pages you visit on nidirect
  • how long you spend on each nidirect page
  • how you got to the site
  • what you click on while you’re visiting the site

We make sure you cannot be directly identified by Google Analytics data. We do this by using Google Analytics’ IP address anonymisation feature and by removing any other personal data from the titles or URLs of the pages you visit.

We will not combine analytics information with other data sets in a way that would directly identify who you are.

New Relic software processes anonymised information about:

  • how well the pages performed on your device
  • performance bottlenecks your device experienced
  • JavaScript errors your device encountered

You can find more information about how the nidirect website uses cookies on the following pages:

  • Cookies
  • How we use cookies

Purpose for processing

Your information is collected to:

  • identify web errors, broken links or technical problems
  • get feedback from our customers to help improve our services
  • allow you to access government services and make transactions
  • give you information about local services
  • monitor use of the site to identify security threats
  • monitor the performance of the site to identify inefficiencies and JavaScript errors

We use the information we collect through Google Analytics and New Relic to see how you use the nidirect website and to see how well the site performs on your device.

We do this to help:

  • make sure nidirect is meeting the needs of its users
  • make improvements, for example improving site search
  • make performance improvements, for example improving page load time and data usage

Lawful basis for processing

The legal basis for processing personal data for site security is our legitimate interests, and the legitimate interests of our users, in ensuring the security and integrity of the nidirect website.

The legal basis for processing data collected with Google Analytics and New Relic is your consent.

The legal basis for processing all other personal data is that it’s necessary:

  • to perform a task in the public interest
  • in the exercise of our functions as a government department

What we do with your data

The data we collect may be shared with other government departments, agencies and public bodies. It may also be shared with our technology suppliers, for example our hosting provider.

We will share your data if we are required to do so by law - for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime.

The data we collect with Google Analytics cookies is transferred and stored with Google where we analyse it with Google Analytics software. We do not allow Google to use or share this data for their own purposes.

We will not:

  • sell or rent your data to third parties
  • share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

How long we keep your data

We will only keep your personal data for as long as it is needed for the purposes set out in this document or for as long as the law requires us to.

We will:

  • keep your feedback until we have responded to your query and then it will be deleted
  • delete access log data which contains your IP address after 30 days

Online services linked to from the nidirect website

There are a variety of online services on or linked to from the nidirect website. Some of these will gather personal information. As this data does not go to Digital Shared Services, this privacy notice does not cover these services. Links to the privacy notices for these services can be found on the page below:

  • Privacy notices for government services

This privacy notice also does not cover any data submitted to the GP online services for making appointments or ordering repeat prescriptions. For these services, you should refer to the privacy notice of the relevant GP practice.

Children’s privacy protection

Our services are not designed for, or intentionally targeted at, children 13 years of age or younger. We do not intentionally collect or maintain data about anyone under the age of 13.

Where your data is processed and stored

We design, build and run our systems to make sure that your data is as safe as possible at all stages, both while it’s processed and when it’s stored.

All personal data is stored in the European Economic Area (EEA). Data collected by Google Analytics and New Relic may be transferred outside the EEA for processing.

How we protect your data and keep it secure

We are committed to doing all that we can to keep your data secure. We have set up systems and processes to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure of your data - for example, we protect your data using varying levels of encryption.

We also make sure that any third parties that we deal with keep all personal data they process on our behalf secure.

Your rights

Under data protection legislation, you have rights as an individual which you can exercise about the information the Department of Finance hold about you. The Department tries to be as open as possible in terms of giving you access to your personal data. You can find out if the Department hold any information by making a subject access request. If the Department does hold information about you, it will:

  • give you a description of it
  • tell you why the Department is holding it;
  • tell you who it could be disclosed to
  • let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form

To make a request for any personal information the Department may hold, or to raise an objection about the processing it carry outs, you should put the request in writing and email it to DataProtectionOfficer@finance-ni.gov.uk.

If, at any point, you believe the information the Department processes on you is incorrect, you can ask to have this information corrected.

If you wish to raise a complaint about how the Department has handled your data, you can contact the Department’s Data Protection Officer who will investigate the matter.

If you are not satisfied with the Data Protection Officer’s response or believe the Department is not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you can complain to the Information Commissioner at:

  • casework@ico.org.uk

or:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Changes to this privacy notice

This privacy notice is kept under regular review. This privacy notice was last updated in May 2022.

 

More useful links

  • Social media 'house rules'
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Help

  • About nidirect
  • Accessibility
  • Alternative languages
  • Beta on nidirect
  • Contact numbers and addresses
  • Contacting 08 and 03 numbers
  • Cookies
  • Crown copyright
  • Help viewing documents
  • How we use cookies
  • Make a complaint about the nidirect website
  • nidirect website privacy notice
  • Privacy notices for government services
  • Scams relating to nidirect
  • Social media 'house rules'
  • Terms and conditions
  • Translation help

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS