My Department is in ongoing contact with the Data Protection Commissioners Office in relation to the retention period for POD data. The Department has previously met with and received advice from the Data Protection Commissioners Office in this regard and no issues of concern were raised at that time. My Department will continue to closely consult with and seek the advice of the Commissioners office while reviewing the retention policy for POD data.
The Department understands that there are concerns from a data protection and privacy point of view. The Department is exploring these concerns but also needs to consider the fact that in the future POD will serve as the official record of primary school enrolment for everybody, and as such it forms part of an individual's personal history. While some people might prefer their record to be deleted as soon as possible, others may prefer to have their record accessible should they want or need to get it in the future. The Department will consider its retention policy bearing in mind these issues, as well as all the legal obligations on us both in the areas of data protection and records management, in concert with the Data Protection Commissioners Office.
