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The Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills, Brigid McManus, and Data Protection Commissioner, Billy Hawkes, today announced the launch of a data protection Code of Practice for the Department.  

The Code is the product of work undertaken by the Department in close cooperation with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. 

It reflects the key principles of data protection best practice.

Set against the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003, the aim of this Code of Practice is to ensure each employee of the Department has an understanding of the concepts of Data Protection and is aware of their own responsibilities.

This, in turn, will assist the Department in its compliance with the Acts.

Data Protection Commissioner, Billy Hawkes said, "I would like to commend the Department for demonstrating leadership in bringing forward this Code.

"As a significant holder of personal data, the Code sends a strong statement of how seriously it takes its data protection responsibilities.

"I will be looking to other Government Departments and Public Bodies to follow the Department in this area."

The principal value of the Code is that it makes the principles of data protection real for all employees of the Department and emphasises the heavy responsibility on them to treat personal data with respect.