Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I totally understand and appreciate that sixth years are under a great deal of pressure. These are the same students who lost a chunk of fifth year and are now also losing several weeks, perhaps even longer, of sixth year. It is very difficult for them. I know that they want an answer from Government as soon as possible on what is going to happen with the leaving certificate examinations and we want to do that but it requires some planning, co-ordination and consultation and the ISSU, as mentioned by the Deputy, is part of that discussion now. A group has been set up involving the Department of Education, the State Examinations Commission, two representatives from the ISSU, together with the teachers' unions, principals and management. It will meet again on Friday and we will try to bring this to a conclusion as soon as possible because we understand the pressure and stress that people are under. In developing a plan, however, we need to be able to answer the questions that they will then ask thereafter and that it what we are working on now.

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