Schools get €800k grant for sharing pupil data

Primary schools have been paid a grant of more than €800,000 for filling detailed forms to help monitor pupils’ progress through the education system.

The planned sharing by the Department of Education of personal information from the Primary Online Database with other agencies has drawn criticism about data protection issues.

The database is being introduced for the first time this year, mirroring a similar database that has operated in second-level schools since 1991.