Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If a family pays for an assessment, it should be reimbursed. I have met the Darmody family. One of its concerns is that the mother has suddenly become a full-time 24 hour carer which, if it were a full-time job, would work out at €1.25 per hour. That is what the carer is getting. We will pass the petition on the relevant bodies and see what comes back. The response will then be sent to the Darmody family for comment. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Petition No. 4 of 2023, from Mr. Daniel Culkin, seeks to remove the third language requirement for undergraduate courses in Irish universities, unless relevant to the course.

His petition relates to the requirement for a third language at leaving certificate level which is a requirement to gain entry to the majority of courses in most Irish universities. Mr. Culkin believes most schools are only able to offer classes in French as a third language option, which he considers has no bearing on medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, radiography and so on. He also contends that most students only have a choice in three out seven subjects and that students who excel at science subjects but struggle with foreign languages are at a disadvantage. He believes that students attending private schools can study an additional subject to use instead of a third language. This puts them at an advantage over students who attend public schools. Students may also be at a disadvantage if their school only offers classes in one third-language option. The petitions case manager corresponded with the Secretary General of the Department of Education, Ms Bernie McNally, and received a reply from Ms Martina Bulman, private secretary to the Secretary General of the Department of Education on the subject of this petition on 21 March 2023. The committee recommends that the correspondence from the Department of Education be sent to the petitioner for comment within 14 days. Do members have any views?