Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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463. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason her Department is requesting children's personal public service numbers; and if information regarding same cannot be obtained from schools. [17403/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The PPS number will be used as the unique pupil identifier on the Departments Primary Online Database POD and on the Departments Post Primary Online Database (P-POD). This will allow for a child's educational history to be maintained accurately as they move school, as well as ensuring that there are no duplicate enrolments in the system. The PPS number will be obtained from the school and used to validate the identity of the pupil using the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform or using the Department of Social Protection PPSN Checker service. This is an automated process which validates large batches of PPS numbers using other variables from a pupil's Public Service Identity dataset, and returns a match code to the Department of Education and Skills. A Fair Processing Notice to explain how the personal data of pupils in primary schools on the Primary Online Database (POD) will be recorded, processed and shared is available on my Departments website.