Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the third level institutions are responsible for the points system. However, the difficulty does not just stem from the leaving certificate and the low uptake. For instance, in 2011 only 1,000 people or thereabouts took applied maths. As I have pointed out to the Minister previously, the difficulty relates to the number of third level students dropping out between first year science to second year. The same third level institutes are accepting students into engineering and science courses with ordinary-level leaving certificate maths and biology. These students are having major difficulty and it is grossly unfair to them.

We need to recognise the level of difficulty associated with studying physics in particular. The results speak for themselves. In 2011 only 8.8% of those who did the leaving certificate examinations did higher-level physics, which was down from 10.2% in 2006. They are still tiny figures of the overall cohort. Some 1,200 jobs are being created a week, many of them in the high technology sector. If we cannot encourage people to take higher-level leaving certificate physics, applied maths and chemistry, we will have a serious problem in filling the places on third level courses, not to mention retaining them to the point at which they are conferred with the appropriate degree. While I appreciate the Minister's answer, the HEA, the Department and the third level institutes need to review this. Given that it has worked for higher-level maths and that Engineers Ireland and others, including me, regard it as a good idea, the Minister should consider introducing it across the science spectrum.

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