Data Protection Act, 1988

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Applications for registration.

17.—(1) (a) A person wishing to be registered in the register or to have a registration continued under section 18 of this Act or to have the particulars in an entry in the register altered shall make an application in writing in that behalf to the Commissioner and shall furnish to him such information as may be prescribed and any other information that he may require.

(b) Where a data controller intends to keep personal data for two or more purposes, he may make an application for separate registration in respect of any of those purposes and, subject to the provisions of this Act, entries shall be made in the register in accordance with any such applications.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) of this section, the Commissioner shall accept an application for registration, made in the prescribed manner and in respect of which such fee as may be prescribed has been paid, from a person to whom section 16 of this Act applies unless he is of opinion that—

(a) the particulars proposed for inclusion in an entry in the register are insufficient or any other information required by the Commissioner either has not been furnished or is insufficient, or

(b) the person applying for registration is likely to contravene any of the provisions of this Act.

(3) The Commissioner shall not accept such an application for registration as aforesaid from a data controller who keeps personal data specified in section 16 (1) (c) of this Act unless he is of opinion that appropriate safeguards for the protection of the privacy of the data subjects concerned are being, and will continue to be, provided by him.

(4) Where the Commissioner refuses an application for registration, he shall, as soon as may be, notify in writing the person applying for registration of the refusal and the notification shall—

(a) specify the reasons for the refusal, and

(b) state that the person may appeal to the Court under section 26 of this Act against the refusal within 21 days from the receipt by him of the notification.

(5) If—

(a) the Commissioner, by reason of special circumstances, is of opinion that a refusal of an application for registration should take effect urgently, and

(b) the notification of the refusal includes a statement to that effect and a statement of the effect of the provisions of section 26 (other than subsection (3)) of this Act,

paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of this section shall not apply in relation to the notification and paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of this section shall be construed and have effect as if for the words from and including “21 days” to the end of the paragraph there were substituted “7 days beginning on the date on which the notification was received,”.

(6) Subject to subsection (5) of this section, a person who has made an application for registration shall—

(a) until he is notified that it has been accepted or it is withdrawn, or

(b) if he is notified that the application has been refused, until the end of the period of 21 days within which an appeal may be brought under section 26 of this Act against the refusal and, if such an appeal is brought, until the determination or withdrawal of the appeal,

be treated for the purposes of section 19 of this Act as if the application had been accepted and the particulars contained in it had been included in an entry in the register on the date on which the application was made.

(7) Subsections (2) to (6) of this section apply, with any necessary modifications, to an application for continuance of registration and an application for alteration of the particulars in an entry in the register as they apply to an application for registration.