Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The leaving certificate class of 2020 has endured an extremely difficult year. "Endured" is the only word for it. Three months before the examinations the schools were shut due to the public health emergency. As weeks passed, students faced the uncertainty of whether they would even sit the leaving certificate examination this year. There was postponement, cancellation and then uncertainty about what model would be used. These young people have had a horrendous year. In ainneoin sin, lean siad ag obair leo go tréan agus rinne siad gach rud a iarradh orthu, ach tá faillí déanta ar an dream sin ag an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna.

These students were entitled to expect standards from the Government and the Department of Education and Skills that matched theirs, but this is not what they got. Instead, they have faced an extraordinary mess and further disadvantage due to errors in the calculated grades model. In May, I made it clear to the Department that the calculated grades model was not the correct one to use, because it would be a blunt instrument that would cause students to miss out when they should not. The Minister for Education and Skills persisted with the model and there have been persistent difficulties since then. The flaws have become apparent following the issuing of the results.

The events of yesterday beg many serious questions. The Opposition and even the Cabinet were kept in the dark. Most importantly, the leaving certificate students were kept in the dark. There is a striking lack of clarity about who in the Government knew what and when. We know that this information was in the Minister's hands for seven days, and she said nothing publicly about it. Incredibly, this was while second round offers from the Central Applications Office, CAO, were being issued and accepted. This is not academic. We cannot forget that this affects the lives and futures of students. There are likely almost 1,000 students who have missed courses due to these errors. The Minister says it will be a few days before the full numbers are known. Many students will have taken up lower choice courses in cities and counties in which they had not expected to be located. They will have paid registration fees and deposits to landlords. They do not know whether they are coming or going.

It is most important that we fix this shambles. Third level places are at the heart of the solution. The Ministers, Deputies Foley and Harris, are making general commitments or statements about additional college places to be made available. However, the Minister, Deputy Foley, also concedes that some will have to defer. That does not cut it. Asking students to spend a year in limbo is not good enough. The Minister, Deputy Foley, said that no student will be disadvantaged. To achieve that, there must be a guarantee that every student who missed a college course will now be offered the place that is rightfully his or hers.

We also must ensure accountability. The Government decided on this model. It hired the company in question. How experienced was this company in doing this type of work? How were the errors not picked up before the results were issued? This smacks of serious incompetence. What is the Government going to do to ensure there is accountability? Can the Minister clarify what he was told about this and when he was told? What did he do as a result? Did he, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste decide not to tell the rest of the Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday? Can the Minister clear this up?

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