Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies and I understand their concerns. There are several issues here. Regarding therapies, there are additional places being provided in higher education for therapies and that is a commitment in the programme for Government. It is also an acknowledgement of the huge shortage out there within the State and I stated this in my previous reply.

In any discussions we have regarding the leaving certificate, we must also acknowledge the State Examinations Commission has done an excellent job. Over the decades and in respect of how it has been run by the State, the leaving certificate has stood the test of time in any challenges it has faced. Yes, there are issues regarding how we will get back to where we were pre-pandemic. It is one of the overhanging issues. There is a gradual reduction to get back to where we were pre-pandemic. It is important we ensure everyone is catered for. The Deputy will accept many people have benefited from the HEAR and DARE programmes and have excelled in their field once they went on to third level education. We all will have encountered families that approached us to make sure they could get on those programmes. It is important that we reflect on that and ensure it is taken into account as well with regard to how we gradually get back to a pre-pandemic level in the education system.

It is also important we stand up for the leaving certificate. Yes, there were significant challenges, particularly in the leaving certificate, and there have been significant challenges in recent years because many students did not sit the junior certificate because of the way we had to deal with the pandemic. It is important that we do. I take the points raised but I believe we are working correctly and the information we have been given is correct in respect of gradually getting back to the pre-pandemic level of the leaving certificate.

See this speech in context