Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 September 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

Reopening of Schools, Cork Life Centre, School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion.

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for that detailed response. It is a scheme that is very important and that should be widely used for the purposes of protecting those children who have suffered or fallen through the cracks.

Could I ask the Minister another question that is not on the issues it was intended to ask her about? One of the consequences if the pandemic is that we have seen, particularly this year, an increase in grade inflation when it came to the leaving certificate. In many respects, that is not of huge assistance to the students this year because the points third level have also risen. Are the Minister and the Minister of State concerned that students who are due to sit the leaving certificate next year may be at a disadvantage if it is the case that students who have achieved very high points this year decide to defer their college applications to next year?