Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. It has been broadly agreed that it is right and proper, once the leaving certificate exams have concluded in June, to have a second sitting of them going into July. That is only fair. I say that as someone who has spent a lot of time in the classroom. Every young person should get the maximum opportunity. If by some misfortune a student has an illness – it might have been Covid in the past year or so – he or she should have another opportunity to do the leaving certificate examinations. That is fair. If we believe it is fair, we must acknowledge the impact on the State Examinations Commission in respect of its oversight of the correcting of the exams. That is a given. I have met representatives of the commission on this on several occasions. Specific issues arose in respect of attracting a sufficient number of correctors, as identified by the Deputy. Significant work is being done again this year to make it more attractive. The Deputy referred to work being corrected and sent back for correction again. This has almost stopped, although not entirely, because the vast majority of correction is now online. This has streamlined the system and made it much more attractive for teachers to correct work in the first instance. Every year, there has been an incremental improvement. Significantly, as referred to by the Deputy, there have been financial improvements benefiting staff. That will be the case again this year.

The State Examinations Commission has not adjudicated at this point on when the results will be available. We understand why. It will not adjudicate until the whole body of work has been completed. The commission and I are clear that we need to have the earliest possible date, notwithstanding the challenges.

On the school transport system, the Deputy referred to having flexibility at the centre. That is the impetus for the entire review. Like the Deputy, I come from a rural constituency. I know the value of school transport and realise it is of particular interest in constituencies like that of the Deputy. The school transport review will cover flexibility, examining everything from the distance criteria to eligibility and cost. All of these aspects are informing the review. I hope the review will be completed in the next short while. When it is, it will have to be signed off by the Government, after which it will be published. There is an element of time involved in this. It must be allowed to proceed. I acknowledge there has been considerable engagement by the wider public on the review. We are completing the work as quickly as possible but it will demand engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Reference was made to the fact – I have already clarified this point – that representatives of that Department are part of an interdepartmental committee on the school transport review.

I will address the specific cases the Deputy raised concerning various parts of her constituency. If there is an access issue for any child or young person with additional needs, whether it concerns tarmac or another matter, she might give me the details. With regard to any question of access for a child with additional needs, the cost will be met by my Department. The Deputy might just give me the details.

Where other issues that might arise within a school are concerned, there is the summer works scheme, as referred to by the Deputy, and the emergency works scheme. There are other grants made available to schools. If there is a specific need that cannot be met by a school, that school should engage directly with the Department on it. The Deputy stated the schools she mentioned are small, but the size does not matter. It is important that any access issue faced by a child with additional needs be identified and rectified. There is a place in the education system for small schools too. I can say that as somebody who comes from a rural constituency.