Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

To answer the Deputy's first question and to the best of my knowledge, he is correct. The information published in the media yesterday was accurate and no one has brought any inaccuracy to my attention. The new 25 points bonus will not kick in until next year's leaving certificate examination. The Deputy's predecessor in the Cabinet's education portfolio was aware of the issue, since she was the one who suggested an increase in the points system to incentivise maths.

Young people act fairly rationally in these regards. The level of effort required for higher maths, commensurate with the points currently awarded, is higher than it should be and could be utilised to get extra points in other subjects across the spectrum. We are trying to reverse this situation. To answer the Deputy's second question, I have not been in a position to explore the matter further, but I intend to do so.

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