Ms Andrea Feeney:

We can certainly address the questions the Deputy had in respect of the examination paper. I was giving some background in relation to the oral as to what had been there before rather than making a comment as to the rightness or wrongness, or the experience, but that that was the situation previously. We can certainly address the issues in relation to the examination paper: the issue that the Deputy has raised and the connection between the sample and the live examination, the request for additional themed subject material, and the assertion that it was too difficult.

The decision that the examination would not be foundation level was a policy decision taken in the context of reform to reduce higher and ordinary levels in all subjects to a common level, other than in Irish, English and maths, where there is a higher and ordinary level. This meant in the case of Irish and maths moving from three levels to two levels. I might ask-----