In this first episode of Adventures in Information, I talk to Simon McGarr, a solicitor and part-time data activist about a new government mega-database that received surprisingly little attention – from those that created it, and from almost everyone else.

This is about freedom of information, but also children, education, database creation, data protection and even child abuse claims.

You might be surprised to learn what information about our children the Department of Education wants to keep, how long it wants to keep it for and, maybe, why.

See below for links to things discussed in the podcast, and please leave any thoughts, questions or further links you might have in the comments.

Please also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or using this RSS feed. And if you have listened, feedback is welcome with your rating and comment on the iTunes page.

Episode links

• Simon’s posts about POD at the Tuppenceworth blog. Start with this one.
• Simon on Morning Ireland discussing POD.
• Minister for Education willing to examine 30-year retention of pupil data, The Irish Times (08.01.15).
• Department of Education POD page.
• Note on the ECtHR decision in O’Keefe v. Ireland from the Human Rights in Ireland blog.
• Children’s data to be kept for shorter period after climbdown, The Irish Times (27.03.15).
• Data Protection Commissioner defends action on database, The Irish Times (24.06.15).
• Decision of the Information Commissioner in Mr G (that’s Simon) and Department of Education.
• A note on the ECJ decision in Akzo Nobel about legal professional privilege.
• ECJ judgement in Bara.
• The blog of Simon’s firm at McGarr Solicitors.
• Simon on Twitter.