Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Last night, I received a message from a Cork mother who is fearful that her son is so stressed by the leaving certificate carry-on that he could come to harm. She said it is at the point where she is sitting on his bedroom floor every night while he sleeps, just to keep an eye on him. Meanwhile, the Minister for Education is telling the media she hopes to be able to outline to the Cabinet on Tuesday next an alternative option to the leaving certificate. There will be six more nights of watch and anguish for this mother and six more nights of anguish for 61,000 leaving certificate students, who are sick to the back teeth with the Minister's talk of tomorrow, next week, never today, always mañana.

Students should not be forced to compete against one another for limited college places, least of all in a pandemic year. The Government should invest in third level education, adopt a policy of open access and open a place in third level for every leaving certificate student who wants one. Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister please to get a move on here?

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