The Department of Education has defended a new database that will store the PPS numbers of primary school students until they turn 30.
The Primary Online Database (POD), designed to record information on each student’s path through the education system and monitor vulnerable subgroups, sparked controversy after it was revealed that the information provided on each pupil will also be accessed by other bodies, including the Health Service Executive, the Department of Social Protection and the Central Statistics Office.
Solicitor and digital rights expert Simon McGarr called for “more debate and more reflection” by the department, adding that he felt storing the information, which includes address, date of birth, ethnicity and, optionally, religion, until a child turns 30 was “excessive”.
The Department of Education defended the move, with a spokesman for Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan revealing that only a small number of staff would have access to the data and confirming that the plan has the backing of both the National Parents Council and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO).
Schools have been asked to submit the information before March.
