Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

As part of the summer works scheme last year and this year, the Department invested significant amounts in developing and expanding science laboratories. With the exception of schools that formed part of larger building projects, all schools that applied for funding to upgrade their laboratories received grants. I look forward to finding out which schools applied for funding for this year.

I have no intention of making science compulsory at junior certificate level because 86% of students already take science at junior certificate on a voluntary basis. This is an encouraging figure. Given that numbers are increasing because students want to study science, it is not necessary to introduce compulsion.

As the Deputy will be aware, schools have absolute discretion regarding the subjects they offer at leaving certificate level and which teachers they employ. There is one teacher at second level for every 13 students. It is a matter for schools at local level to determine how they want to offer science subjects.

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