Department of Education and Skills (Register of Users)

Updated: July 2016

The department uses the PPS Number as the main identifier on the following payrolls:

• primary teachers including casual and non-casual teachers and payment of claims to primary teachers working in the Circus & Fairground Support Service
• teachers employed in secondary and community/comprehensive schools including casual and non-casual teachers in voluntary secondary, community and comprehensive schools
• special needs assistants and child-care workers in primary, voluntary secondary, community and comprehensive schools
• clerical officers and caretakers in primary and voluntary secondary schools employed under the 1978/79 scheme
• payment of home tutors on the Non-Teaching Staff payroll.
• pensions payroll for retired staff in categories 1 to 4 above
• administration of arrangements for payment of pension to former Carysfort College of Education staff

The PPS Number is currently used as a reference number in the department in Corepay applications i.e. the Salary and Civil Service Pensions payment package.

Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and the Financial Management System (FMS)

PPS Numbers are used as a supplementary method of identifying some suppliers on the FMS.

The department uses the PPS Number as the unique identifier for all primary school children entered into the departments Primary On-Line Database (POD), post-primary students on its Post-Primary Pupil Database (PPPDB) and Pupil Entity database.

The department uses PPS Numbers in maintaining records of primary teachers being inspected for probation purposes and in reporting on individual teachers outside the probationary process.

PPS Number used on Casetrack System for psychologists employed by National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and on an internal access database for privately employed psychologists.

The department requests PPS Numbers under the Scholarship/Bursary and Student Grant Schemes and Pilot Support Scheme 2015.

PPSN is used for Home Tuition scheme as the unique identifier for parents, home tutors and children.

PPSN is collected for Irish teachers who are seconded to the European schools on an annual basis.

The PPSN is included on CVs of employees of the Visiting Teacher Service.

The PPSN is used in relation to secondments of teachers or in relation to salaries paid by DCU on behalf of the department.

The PPS Number is used as a unique identifier for children in the Early Start Programme.

The PPS Number is used in the administration of the July Programme.

PPS Number is used as the unique identifier for European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) operations and training for the unemployed and for individuals who have received education and training under various European Globalisation Funding programmes.

The PPSN is used for verification purposes for potential pilot surveys regarding primary school patronage.

The PPSN is used for verification purposes in relation to the Redeployment Protocols under the Croke Park and Haddington Road Agreements.

PPSNs are used as an identifier for payments on behalf of Section 29 Appeal Committee members.

The PPSN is used as a unique identifier in the administration of the following schemes:

• Incremental Credit schemes for teachers and Special Needs Assistants
• Foreign Language Assistants scheme
• French/German Teacher Exchange schemes
• Qualification Allowances for teachers
• Secondments
• Job-Sharing
• Teacher Exchange (Primary)
• Administrative leave and leave of absence schemes

In the case of 1 above, the PPS Number is used for the normal payroll functions and for pension purposes as a supplementary method of identification.

In the case of 2 above, the PPS Number is used as a reference number in Corepay applications for department staff.

For Human Resource Management System (HRMS), PPS Number is used:

• as an identifier when recruiting new staff or when staff transfer to another department
• when recouping money from Department of Social Protection in relation to sick leave/maternity benefit
• to check Central Applications Facility (CAF) status of applicants with the Public Appointments Service (PAS)
• as an identifier for recording training details

In the case of 4 above, the PPS Number is used as a supplementary method of identifying some suppliers, only where identical names and addresses exist and are also stored as part of the department's annual reporting requirements to Revenue under Section 891b and new eTax Clearance Procedures under Section 95 of the Finance Act effective 1st January 2016.

In the case of 5 above, the department has adopted the PPS Number as the unique identifier for students. One of the checks carried out before enrolments are finalised for schools is to ensure that a student is not inadvertently enrolled in more than one school. The PPS Number is used as part of this check. The department also uses the PPS Number to check with the Department of Social Protection to ensure that each student's record refers to a unique individual.

In the case of 6 above, the PPS Number is used to facilitate tracking of the inspection of newly appointed primary teachers for probation purposes and of inspection of individual teachers. In the case of primary teachers on probation, a register is maintained on a departmental database managed by Limerick Education Centre on behalf of the department. Interim and final inspection reports on probationary primary teachers contain the PPS Number as an identifier.

In the case of 7 above the PPS Number is used as a unique identifier for NEPS psychologists and in the case of privately employed psychologists, the PPS Number is requested to confirm tax compliance.

In the case of 8 above, PPSNs are used to verify the information provided on student grant application forms and to prevent and detect fraud. PPS nos. are also used for the purposes of administering the department's Scholarship/Third Level Bursary Schemes and the All-Ireland Scholarship Scheme, which is administered by the Higher Education Equity of Access Unit on behalf of the J.P. McManus Trust. The PPS nos. are necessary to pay the scholarship awards to the recipients. This information collected is consistent with the provisions of the Student Support Act 2011, the Student Grant Regulations 2015 and the Student Grant Scheme 2015. Also in assessing student’s eligibility under the Pilot Support Scheme 2015.

In the case of 9 above, the PPSN of parents, Home Tutors and children are used as a unique identifier in order to facilitate returns to the Revenue Commissioners in respect of payments made from public funds.

In the case of 10 above, the PPSN is used as an identifier for Irish teachers seconded to European schools.

In the case of 11 above the PPSN is collected in relation to employees of the Visiting Teacher Service, e.g., probation of visiting teachers, processing of travel and subsistence claims and applications for short term temporary posts covering for illnesses.

In the case of 12 above, to register secondments of teachers for payroll purposes.

In the case of 13 above, to determine if the children in the Early Start Programme are also enrolled in other State-funded pre-school provision.

In the case of 14 above, to differentiate between payroll and non-payroll Teachers/Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and to process payments through the Primary, Post-Primary and NTS payroll systems.

In the case of 15 above, to identify redundant workers potentially eligible for assistance from programmes co-funded by the EGF and to verify the eligibility for funding prior to certifying the expenditure returns to the Certifying Authority in the department.

In the case of 16 above, for verification purposes of respondents to potential surveys of parental preferences regarding primary school patronage.

In the case of 17 above, the PPSNs are collected and used as a unique identifier for individuals in relation to the Redeployment Protocols under the Croke Park and Haddington Road Agreements.

In the case of 18 above, to process payments to Section 29 Appeal Committee members (Section 29 Education Act 1998).

In the case of 19 above, the PPSN is used as a unique identifier in the: administration of leave schemes for teachers, SNAs, Clerical Officers caretakers, French/German Exchange schemes, processing of teacher qualification allowances and administration of Incremental Credit schemes for teachers and SNAs.

In terms of the payroll applications, the PPS Number is used for the following exchange of data:

• tax data with the Revenue Commissioners including the annual tax return to the Revenue Commissioners regarding tax deducted from pension contribution refunds issued to individual teachers
• PRSI illness benefit data with the Department of Employment Social Protection

Payment schedule listings for the PMG's office

• agency used for printing and packing P60s, PRD 60s and certificates for staff on Department of Education and Skills payrolls
• Revenue Commissioners – Managed Services Providers for the department's On-Line Claims System which records staff absences and facilitates salary payment to replacement staff
• with the national coordinator of the Circus & Fairground Support Service who submits claims on behalf of teachers
• with the relevant Education & Training Board (ETB) in the case of seconded teachers to the department's Payroll Division/ETB Payroll
• St. Patrick's College Drumcondra who administer the pension payments to former staff of Carysfort College of Education
• teacher registration data with the Teaching Council of Ireland
• transfer of teaching service data with ETBs

In terms of pupil data, the exchange of data is with Post-Primary schools, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the Department of Social Protection (DEASP), the Education Research Centre in Drumcondra, the CSO under the Statistics Acts, Student Universal Support Ireland, (SUSI) in order to confirm enrolment histories of grant applicants, PPSN of tutors, parents and children in receipt of home tuition shared with the Education and Welfare Service (EWS) of The Child and Family Agency. Post-Primary schools submit certain personal details and educational history of their current pupils to the department as part of a census process called the 'October Returns'.

For students in examination years, their data is passed to the SEC to facilitate organisation of the State Examinations. Where no PPS Number has been provided by the schools, these records are sent to the DEASP for matching against their records and where matches have been established, the PPS Number is returned to the schools by the department for updating onto the schools' records. In terms of primary school children, who are entered into the departments POD, the exchange of data is with the DEASP and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for verification and validation purposes and the CSO under the Statistics Acts.

The department provides full information on the October Returns for parents and students through Department Circular 47/2010 Fair Processing Notice, which is available here.

In the case of primary teachers on probation, the PPS Number is collected by means of an information form processed by Limerick Education Centre on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills, which facilitates the creation of records on a teacher database. When a final inspection report is issued to the teacher and to the employer (the school), this contains the individual teacher's PPS Number. These reports are not published on the department's website. Where it is decided to inspect and report on individual teachers outside the probationary process, the PPS Number is accessed through the relevant sections in the Department of Education and Skills.

In the case of staff of the department, the PPS Number is exchanged with:

• Central Applications Facility (CAF)
• Public Appointments Service (PAS)
• Department of Finance
• Department of Social Protection
• Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
• Revenue Commissioners
• Other departments/offices for staff transfer purposes
• Consultants engaged for the provision of IT support for Corepay and FMS systems

In the case of the Home Tuition scheme, the PPS Numbers of parents, tutors and children are included in the returns made by the Department to the Revenue Commissioners. The PPS Numbers of children may be shared with the Education and Welfare Service (EWS) of The Child and Family Agency. However, in the case of maternity related absences, it is only shared with the school.

For Irish Teachers seconded to European schools the PPS Number is shared with the Bureau of the European schools and the Directors and Bursars of the European schools.

In the case of the Early Start Programme, the PPS Number is crossed-checked with data held by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

For the purpose of reckoning pensionable service and awarding benefits, the PPS Number is shared with:

• Dept. of Public Expenditure and Reform - personal details for the purposes of adjudicating on pension issues for the individual
• within the education sector and with other State bodies – personal details for the purpose of reckoning pensionable service and awarding benefits
• Occupational Health Service Provider
• Pensions Ombudsman
• private pension providers
• Dept of Social Protection and all other public service payrolls in accordance with the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions Act) No. 37 of 2012

In the case of EGF operations and training for the unemployed, and in order to verify eligibility under EGF and ESF co-funded training programmes, the PPSN is shared with:

• Solas
• Higher Education Authority/Institutions
• Enterprise Ireland
• Education and Training Boards
• Local Enterprise Offices
• Department of Social Protection
• Consultants used by EGF for the provision of auditing services
• Office of the Revenue Commissioners
• Skillnets Ltd

Section 28 of the Student Support Act 2011 provides for the exchange of information between various persons listed in Schedule 2 for relevant purposes. Section 28(2) provides that the Minister may prescribe additional 'persons' for the purposes of subsection (1) following consultation with the Data Protection Commissioner. The Student Support Act 2011 – Schedule 2 – lists the persons with whom information can be exchanged. Section 28(5) sets out the relevant purpose for the exchange of information.

In relation to the Redeployment Protocols under the Croke Park and Haddington Road Agreements, the numbers are forwarded to the Public Appointments Service who operate the Public Service Redeployment Scheme.

The PPSN will be used to identify pupils who do not make the transition from primary to post-primary, the PPSN is used as the unique identifier in both the primary online database (POD) and in the post-primary online database (PPOD).

In relation to Primary School Patronage, it is intended that the PPSN will be used for verification purposes of respondents to the surveys of parental preferences.

The PPSN of students enrolled for the Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) may be shared with Solas in future years as responsibility for elements of this programme moves from the department to the new Solas agency.

The PPSNs of applicants under the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) to verify the applicants' enrolment histories in post-primary education. HEAR is a college and university admissions scheme which offers places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have completed an Irish Leaving Certificate.

To share data with the National Council for Special Education, under the Education Welfare Act, in order to assist in supporting resource allocation in relation to pupils with special educational needs.

To share data with the Child and Family Agency, under the Education Welfare Act, to ensure that each child of compulsory school age is in receipt of an education.

To share data with the DEASP in relation to child benefit queries made directly to schools.

To share data with the HSE in relation to a school vaccination programme.

There are Eight Rules of Data Protection which govern the processing of personal data set out as follows:

• obtain and process the information fairly
• keep it only for one or more specified, explicit and lawful purposes
• process it only in ways compatible with the purposes for which it was given to you initially
• keep it safe and secure
• keep it accurate, complete and up-to-date
• ensure that it is adequate, relevant and not excessive
• retain it no longer than is necessary for the specified purpose or purposes
• give a copy of his/her personal data to an individual, on request

Yes, the Department of Education and Skills has a number of measures in place to ensure that personal data is secure and that it is used and disclosed only in ways compatible with the purposes for which the data was initially given.

The department's Code of Practice sets out the requirements of the DP Acts, the steps to be taken by the department when processing personal data and outlines the department's procedures in relation to the eight rules of Data Protection. The document can be found at the link.

The Code of practice applies to all staff of the department, both permanent and temporary staff, to staff working on a contract basis for the department and others who are authorised to access personal data held by the department.

Other related documents are:

The departments Data Protection Guidelines here.

The departments Data Protection Breach Policy at link.

The departments Policy for the Protection of Data while using laptops and other mobile data devices at link