3. Laws That Apply

We process personal data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); the Data Protection Act 2018; the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Privacy and Electronic Communications) Regulations 2011, as amended; and other applicable Irish or European data protection legislation.

4. Personal Data We May Collect

4.1 Identity and contact information

• name, postal address, email address and telephone number;
• job title, employer or organisation;
• preferred method of contact; and
• signature.

4.2 Client project and land information

Depending on the service requested, this may include:

• information about land ownership, occupation or management rights;
• property addresses, folio references, land parcel identifiers and site locations;
• maps, boundaries, geographic coordinates and forestry-site information;
• details of plantations, agricultural holdings and other land;
• project requirements, surveys, assessments, applications and correspondence;
• site photographs, video, aerial imagery, satellite imagery or drone imagery;
• licence, consent, permit, certification or grant application information;
• herd numbers or other agricultural identifiers where relevant and lawfully required;
• records of inspections, consultations, reports and recommendations; and
• information provided by landowners, agents, solicitors, contractors, foresters or public authorities.

Information relating solely to land or a company may not itself be personal data. We treat it as personal data where it identifies or can reasonably be linked to an individual.

4.3 Financial and transaction information

• billing address, quotations, invoices and payment records;
• bank account details where required for payments or refunds;
• tax-related and grant-funding information; and
• records of products or services purchased from or supplied to us.

We do not intend to collect payment card details directly through the website unless expressly stated. If online payments are introduced, an independent payment provider may process those details under its own privacy terms.

4.4 Website and technical information

• IP address, browser, device type and operating system;
• language, time zone and approximate location derived from an IP address;
• referring source, pages visited, links selected and visit duration;
• cookie identifiers and consent preferences; and
• diagnostic, security and error information.

Non-essential analytics, advertising or embedded-content technologies will be used only where the consent required by law has been obtained.

4.5 Communications and professional relationships

• website enquiries, emails, letters, messages and meeting notes;
• requests, complaints, feedback and marketing preferences;
• supplier, contractor and professional contact details;
• contracts, insurance, qualification and certification records; and
• records relating to data-protection requests.

4.6 Recruitment information

• curriculum vitae, cover letter and contact details;
• employment, education and qualification history;
• references and interview notes; and
• right-to-work information.

4.7 Sensitive information

We do not normally require special category personal data through the website. In limited circumstances, health, accessibility or safety information may be processed for site visits, workplace safety or service delivery where permitted by law and subject to appropriate safeguards.

Please do not send health data, identity documents, Personal Public Service Numbers, financial credentials or other sensitive information through a general contact form unless we specifically request it through an appropriate secure method.

5. How We Collect Personal Data

• directly from you or your authorised representative;
• through our website, forms, email, telephone, post or meetings;
• during site visits, surveys, inspections or project delivery;
• from a landowner, employer, agent, solicitor, contractor or project participant;
• from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine or another public authority where permitted;
• from official land, planning, company or other public registers;
• from publicly accessible professional and business sources; and
• through authorised hosting, security, analytics and cookie technologies.

If you provide personal data about another person, you must be authorised to do so and ensure that the person receives any privacy information required by law.

6. Why We Use Personal Data and Our Lawful Bases

6.1 Enquiries quotations and pre-contract steps

We use identity, contact, project and land information to answer enquiries, discuss requirements, arrange consultations or site visits, assess whether we can provide a service and prepare proposals. We rely on steps requested before entering a contract or our legitimate interest in managing business enquiries.

6.2 Providing and managing services

We use personal data to deliver forestry and land-management services, conduct assessments, prepare maps and reports, manage projects, communicate with participants, appoint contractors, keep records and administer invoices and payments. We generally rely on performance of a contract. For contacts acting for a company or another client, we may rely on our legitimate interest in administering that relationship.

6.3 Grants licences consents and regulation

Where instructed, we may process and disclose relevant information to public authorities, professional advisers, contractors and other authorised parties to progress an application or regulatory process. The lawful basis may be contract, legal obligation, consent where specifically required, or legitimate interests in administering the project.

6.4 Legal compliance and claims

We may process information for tax, accounting, company, employment, health and safety, environmental or forestry compliance; lawful requests by courts or authorities; prevention or investigation of unlawful activity; and legal claims. We rely on legal obligation or legitimate interests in protecting our organisation and legal rights.

6.5 Website operation security and analytics

We use technical information to operate and secure the website, remember essential settings, prevent misuse, troubleshoot errors and understand performance. Strictly necessary technologies rely on legitimate interests and the relevant consent exemption. Analytics, advertising and other non-essential technologies rely on consent.

6.6 Marketing

We may send service news or marketing where you have consented, where electronic-marketing law otherwise permits it, or in a lawful business-to-business context based on legitimate interests. You may opt out at any time by using an unsubscribe link or contacting info@forestryservices.ie. Service, contractual and safety communications are not marketing.

6.7 Business administration

We may process data to manage suppliers and professional relationships, improve services, maintain records, obtain advice, administer insurance and audits, protect systems and property, recover debts, and plan a lawful business transaction. We rely on legitimate interests where those interests are not overridden by individual rights.

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Strictly necessary cookies may be used without consent where required to deliver a requested service, maintain security or remember privacy choices. Analytics, advertising, embedded-media and other non-essential cookies will be activated only after valid consent where required.

The website should provide Cookie Settings that allow visitors to accept or reject non-essential cookies, choose by category, review purposes and durations, and withdraw consent as easily as it was given. Full details should appear in a separate Cookie Policy based on an up-to-date cookie scan.

8. When We Share Personal Data

Where necessary and lawful, recipients may include:

• authorised personnel;
• forestry consultants, ecologists, surveyors, engineers, planners and other advisers;
• planting, harvesting, maintenance and other forestry contractors;
• mapping, aerial-imagery and drone-service providers;
• accountants, auditors, solicitors, insurers and banks;
• hosting, IT, cybersecurity, communications, document-storage and customer-management providers;
• payment providers;
• the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and other public bodies;
• local authorities, regulators, grant, licensing, certification and inspection bodies;
• landowners, clients, agents and authorised project participants; and
• prospective purchasers and advisers in a proposed business transaction.

Processors may use data only on our documented instructions and under appropriate confidentiality, security and data-processing terms. Some public authorities and independent professionals act as separate controllers. We do not sell personal data.

9. International Transfers

We seek to store and process personal data in Ireland or the European Economic Area (EEA). If a provider processes data outside the EEA, we use a lawful transfer mechanism such as an European Commission adequacy decision, Standard Contractual Clauses with necessary supplementary safeguards, or another GDPR-compliant mechanism. Further information is available on request.

10. How Long We Keep Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including managing enquiries, delivering services, maintaining business relationships and complying with applicable legal, financial and regulatory obligations.

Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the information, the purpose of processing, the duration of our relationship with the individual or organisation, and any applicable legal, accounting, tax or regulatory requirements.

For example, client contracts and core project records may be retained for up to seven years after completion, while accounting, invoice and tax records are generally retained for at least six years in accordance with applicable Irish law.

When determining how long to retain other personal data, we also consider its sensitivity, the potential risks associated with continued storage, whether the information remains necessary and whether it can be securely anonymised.

Certain information may be retained for longer where necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

When personal data is no longer required, and no legal obligation justifies its continued retention, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.

11. Security

We use measures appropriate to the risk, which may include access controls, authentication, encryption, secure backups, device and network security, malware protection, updates, confidentiality obligations, training, supplier checks and incident-response procedures. No internet or storage method is completely secure, so absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

We assess personal data breaches and notify the Data Protection Commission and affected individuals where legally required.

12. Your Rights

Subject to applicable conditions and exceptions, you may have the right to:

• be informed about processing;
• obtain confirmation and access to your personal data;
• receive a copy of relevant data;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• request erasure;
• request restriction of processing;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• object at any time to direct marketing;
• receive eligible data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format;
• request eligible data be transferred to another controller;
• withdraw consent at any time; and
• not be subject to certain decisions based solely on automated processing.

These rights are not absolute. We may retain data to comply with law or establish, exercise or defend legal claims. Withdrawing consent does not affect earlier lawful processing.

13. How to Exercise Your Rights

Send requests to info@forestryservices.ie or Forestry Services Ltd – Data Protection, Cillin Hill Business Park, Dublin Road, Kilkenny, Ireland. Please describe the request and the relevant relationship, service or records.

We may request proportionate information to verify identity or a representative’s authority. We normally respond without undue delay and within one month. A permitted extension of up to two further months may apply to complex or numerous requests. There is normally no fee, although GDPR permits a reasonable fee or refusal for manifestly unfounded or excessive requests.

14. Complaints

Please contact us first at info@forestryservices.ie so we can investigate. You may also complain to:

Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South
Dublin 2
D02 RD28
Ireland
www.dataprotection.ie

You may instead contact another competent supervisory authority, particularly in the EU or EEA country where you live or work or where an alleged infringement occurred.

15. Automated Decision Making

We do not currently make decisions about website visitors or clients based solely on automated processing where those decisions produce legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes, we will provide the information and safeguards required by law.

16. Children

Our website and services are intended primarily for adults, landowners, businesses and professional users. They are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect children’s personal data through the website. Contact us if you believe a child has submitted information without appropriate authority.

17. Third Party Websites and Embedded Content

Our website may link to government agencies, professional bodies, social networks or other third parties, or contain embedded maps and videos. Those parties may collect information when their services are used. We do not control their processing. Review their privacy notices before providing data or activating content. Non-essential third-party content should remain blocked until consent where required.

18. Contact

Forestry Services Limited
Trading as Forestry Services Ltd.
Cillin Hill Business Park, Dublin Road, Kilkenny, Ireland
info@forestryservices.ie
+353 (0)56 770 2242