Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)

I wish the best of luck to all those sitting State examinations - the junior and leaving certificate examinations - across the country. Sitting State examinations can be a challenging and gruelling experience but it can be extra challenging for those with additional needs and dyslexia.

Unlike other countries and third level, the State does not provide additional time to students with dyslexia during State examinations. The State is doing a cruel disservice to these students by not providing them with additional time. I would like to see this change and the Minister to consider the proposal that extra time be provided for junior and leaving certificate students at next year's examinations.

I know from my own experience as somebody with dyslexia that the additional time provided at third level makes a significant difference. In University College Cork, UCC, I got ten minutes extra per hour in each examination. I also got great support from the disability support service in the university. I went on to do a master's degree in Oxford and was provided with 15 minutes extra per hour, a tutor and the option to type examinations. It is challenging that students must break through educational barriers to get supports and that the higher one goes up the educational ladder, the better the supports that are in place, which is counterintuitive. We need to provide students at second level with the same kinds of supports that are being provided at third level.

These kinds of supports are in place in other countries. In the UK, students are provided with 25% extra time. In Italy, it is 30%. In France, it is 33%. It is deeply unfair that students in Dundalk do not get extra time but those in Newry do. We need to consider this proposal seriously. Due consideration should be given to reforming the rules in advance of next year's junior and leaving certificate examinations.

We had a briefing in the AV room from students Sive O'Brien and Madison Moore from Our Lady's Bower Secondary School in Athlone. They talked about their own experiences as students with dyslexia. They did a project for the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition that looked at the international evidence and made a strong case for providing this additional time. Other students across the country have also advocated for these changes. In my own county of Cork, Alice R. Perks was speaking out about this. She spoke powerfully on 96FM. She is a published poet. She was calling for extra time in examinations.

Dyslexia Ireland has also been campaigning on the issue. Some 33,000 people have now signed its petition calling for extra time. There are also recommendations from others. Professor Áine Hyland made a recommendation in 2008 to provide for additional time but it was not acted on. The Ombudsman for Children raised concerns around reasonable accommodation in a report in 2016. What is holding this up? Why is the change not being made? Why are we not providing better reasonable accommodation for students with dyslexia?

While we talk about the challenges, it is also worth highlighting some of the positives. There is a great organisation called Made By Dyslexia, which highlights some of the positives of being dyslexic, including better reasoning skills, communication skills and visualisation. Richard Branson, who is also dyslexic, calls it his superpower. EY has published a report about better problem-solving skills. There are challenges for these students but some of them also have additional skills.

We in the Social Democrats would like additional supports, not just for the State examinations, but also throughout the second level experience. We also want better teacher training around dyslexia, dyspraxia and neurodivergence more generally. That needs to be ongoing throughout the school experience.

Is the Government going to provide the additional time that is being called for in next year's junior and leaving certificate examinations? If not, why not?

See this speech in context