Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is international best practice. Dyslexic kids need time to compute and read. There was an interesting presentation by representatives of the Dyslexic Association of Ireland in the audiovisual room three months ago, which the Chairperson attended. They outlined their primary goal in the next few months is to see can the examination board change its view regarding how dyslexic kids are looked at. It is important to invite the Dyslexic Association of Ireland in at some stage to outline in detail what it is all about and then look at the examination board because there are significant questions to be asked about how it is looking at this issue. How students can get extra time at third level but cannot get extra time to do their leaving or junior certificate is an anomaly I do not understand. International best practice in Scotland, the UK and on the Continent seems to be to give extra time for dyslexic students. There is only one outlier and that is the Department. I hope we can correspond with the Dyslexic Association of Ireland and get its representatives before us if possible.

Perhaps we could then start talks about why we are an outlier in respect of this issue.