A&L Goodbody has awarded its annual student innovation prize to a final year law student who proposed the establishment of an Irish Data Protection Ratings Agency (IDPRA).

Conor Leavy, a 23-year-old from Kildare and a final year law student at DCU, wrote the winning submission to this year’s A&L Goodbody Bold Ideas Student Innovation Award competition.

It puts forward the idea of establishing an independent rating agency for the data sector which would showcase Ireland as a destination with the highest data protection ethics and practices.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, John Whelan, partner and head of A&L Goodbody’s commercial and technology group, said: “Bold Ideas inspires creativity and bold thinking among students and this year it gave students the opportunity to showcase great ideas to enhance Ireland as a global centre for data when the EU GDPR is introduced next year. Conor’s idea to establish the Irish Data Protection Ratings Agency impressed the judges as an innovative and unique way to encourage businesses to establish here.”

Presenting his Bold Idea at a prize-giving event in A&L Goodbody’s head office in Dublin, Mr Leavy said: “I would like to thank A&L Goodbody who provided such a great opportunity in running this competition. The introduction of the GDPR is the topic that I have chosen for my final year dissertation, so this competition has not only been a great help in my final year preparation but has also been an opportunity to engage with a topical and current area of the law.”

As first prize winner, Mr Leavy receives €4,000 in cash and an internship in A&L Goodbody’s head office in Dublin. The firm will also make a donation to a charity of his choice.

The runners up, Dylan Markey from Maynooth University and Áine McCarthy from Trinity College Dublin, both received iPad minis.

Judges for the 2017 competition were Sarah Lennon, legal counsel at Google; Jonathan Newman SC; and Mr Whelan.