Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The general data protection regulation, GDPR, comes into force on Friday, 25 May. Many public information campaigns have highlighted the need for data controllers to prepare for this event and many companies and businesses have been advising employees on how best to prepare to ensure they are compliant with the GDPR. Unfortunately, a number of school principals have contacted me indicating that they have not heard a dicky bird from the Minister for Education and Skills or his officials on this issue. Schools have not been given any direction on how best to handle this particular issue. Surely the Minister should have introduced a circular long before now advising schools on the steps they must take to ensure compliance with the new regulation that will come into force on Friday next.

I note, however, that the Minister issued a circular this week advising schools to consult parents on the use of smartphones. As we know, smartphones can be used to record video and audio and send texts. A question arises as to who is in charge of these types of information and this raises serious issues about data control and how the use of smartphones should be regulated on school grounds. I am disappointed to note that it appears from the evidence, with less than two days to go before the GDPR takes effect, that the Minister is very much behind the curve on this issue. I appeal to the Leader to impress on the Minister the urgent need to issue advice to schools, even at this late stage, on how to become compliant with the GDPR by Friday. The current position is unfair to schools and boards of management, which should not have been placed in this position.