Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I call Deputies Fitzmaurice, Kerrane, Barry and Ó Laoghaire. We have to stick tightly to the time of one minute each.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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First, I thank Minister coming into the House. Last Monday, Deputy Kerrane and myself met students in St Cuan’s College in Castleblakney. Those students last Monday gave up their dinner time or their lunch break and went out to stand together in solidarity looking for the hybrid system that they believe they deserve. I believe they deserve it. In fairness, most Deputies around the country believe that the choice should be given to those pupils. Today, we see students in different parts of the country looking for the same.

Bear in mind that many families unfortunately have been affected by the Covid and have lost time. The same has happened to teachers and we must remember this as well. I was rather surprised to hear the Taoiseach at Leaders’ Questions today state that there may difficulties because they may not be enough college places. Are we now saying that a student sits the leaving certificate exam so that we will be able to make sure that X number will get in and X number will not? I would be very worried about that. The Minister's Department needs to go back and look at this. I will hand her a copy of the letter.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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As has been said, Deputy Fitzmaurice and I met with students and teachers at St. Cuan’s College in Castleblakney on Monday last. On that same day, students in the Holy Rosary College in Mountbellew were also protesting. A number of those protests also continued today. They have been clear that they want certainty. It is great shame to leave students with this worry and stress. The leaving certificate year is already stressful enough as it is. They have not had an ordinary year. It is a two-year cycle. It has not been a normal leaving certificate year and therefore the normal leaving certificate should not go ahead. There should be choice for students. I ask the Minister to make a decision and to give certainty to the students now so that they are allowed choice. That is the very least they deserve.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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A leaving certificate student at the gate today asked me in this debate to ask that all of the windows in the Dáil Chamber would be opened up so that all the Deputies can see the conditions that they have to work in. It is in all weathers, including freezing cold. Of course, I cannot ask that that be done because there are no windows in the Dáil Chamber. However, the basic idea is good. What he was saying to me was that we should put ourselves in the students’ shoes. They missed months of direct classroom teaching time in fifth year. They have real mental health pressures bearing down upon them. They have just gone back to school at the start of a new year. Some have not been able to go back because they had Covid-19. Some have not been able to go back because they were close contacts. Some did not go in because their parents kept them home, fearful of Covid-19. Some of their teachers did not arrive. My question to the Minister is why, given all of this, has she still not shut down the option of an unwanted traditional leaving certificate?

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I first want to echo Deputy O’Sullivan’s points in the previous debate. There is a very serious issue in relation to the allocation of special educational classes in Cork city and suburbs. I give specific mention to the issue of post-primary in Ballincollig.

Much has been made of the fact that this is not the same situation as last year. Of course, that is true, it is not precisely the same. However, it is the case that this is not a normal year and it is nothing like a normal year. Students faced months outside of the classroom. They have endured significant periods of self-isolation themselves, perhaps two or three periods, perhaps the same for their class teachers. It is proving very difficult to cover the course. The Minister will go to the stakeholders' meeting tomorrow. Of course, all voices have to be listened to, but she should listen in particular to the voice of students. What they are saying is clear, it is fair and it is deliverable. That is that they are given the choice between accredited grades and written exams. I believe it can be done. The Minister went for that herself last year. It was the right choice. Many people called for it and she responded to it. I urge her to do the same again this year.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputies for raising this issue and for allowing me to address the matter. At the outset, I would like to say that I am very much aware of the disruption experienced by students who are due to take their leaving certificate examinations this year in the class of 2022. It is welcome that the schools reopened at the normal time after the Christmas holidays. I know that schools are working tirelessly to deliver the best possible educational experience to students. It is important to say that. All planning for the 2022 examinations is guided by the prevailing public health advice and it will have regard to the well-being of students. The Department of Education continues to engage with the partners in education on all matters relating to the leaving certificate 2022 examinations. The next meeting of the advisory group on the State examinations is planned for tomorrow. The advisory group includes representatives of students, parents, teachers and school leaders, as well as representatives from the State Examinations Commission, SEC, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, higher education and my Department.

Adjustments to the examination papers for the 2022 State examinations were announced in August 2021. These adjustments were designed to take account of both the disruption to learning experience by students in the early part of 2021, as well as providing for some possible further disruption in the 2021-22 academic school year. The adjustments ensure that the overall structure of the examinations remains intact, but allow for greater choicer for students. Revised arrangements for leaving certificate oral examinations in Irish, in the modern foreign languages and the practical performance tests in leaving certificate music were announced last month. These examinations will now take place outside of school time over the first week of school Easter holidays. By moving these examinations to the Easter holidays, the State Examinations Commission aims to minimise disruption to teaching and learning, especially for those candidates preparing for the examinations, as this change will specifically limit teacher absence from schools.

The State Examinations Commission also recently provided further information to schools regarding aspects of the 2022 State examinations. This included postponing commencement of assessment of what is known as the leaving certificate applied February tasks from 31 January to 14 February. Schools were also reminded of the flexibility which is available regarding the dates for completion and authentication of coursework for leaving certificate candidates. I have also announced that an alternative set of leaving certificate examinations will be run 2022, shortly after the conclusion of the main set of examinations. This will be for students who are unable to set the main set of examinations for various reasons, including Covid-19 illness, bereavement or serious illness.

Finally, the Department of Education has also provided a suite of guidance materials agreed with the educational partners to enable schools to mediate the curriculum safely for all pupils and students in a Covid-19 context. The Department of Education will continue to engage with all partners in education on all matters relating to the leaving certificate 2022 examinations. As I said, the meeting of the advisory group on planning for State examinations 2022 has been planned for tomorrow, Thursday. As previously outlined, this group represents the widest possible experience of stakeholders in education, students, parents, teachers and managerial bodies. It is important that this advisory group has been in operation for a considerable amount of time. Their last meeting was on 20 December, where the decision around the final arrangements as regards the examinations for the orals and the musical practicals was taken. The next meeting will take place tomorrow. I look forward to that opportunity tomorrow to hear again the views, thoughts and experiences of everybody around the table. They have played a vital role up to this point in determining how we proceed. It is important that they be afforded the opportunity also tomorrow.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Now each Member has only 30 seconds to reply.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Schools were opened, but the Minister should realise that many families got Covid-19, many teachers got Covid-19 and there was total disruption.

On top of that, it is interesting that many teachers have said that they were surprised at the unions' talk as they were not consulted. We should not even be debating whether children should have the choice. This should be an option every year going forward. The Minister spoke about the group that is going to meet tomorrow. With everything she has outlined, I would not hold out much hope. The Minister should respect the children and what they have gone through and give them the choice.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister said there will be a meeting tomorrow but is it the case she has already made the decision on the leaving certificate and she is not considering giving students a choice? I understood that was the position until the Taoiseach made the situation seem different again in an interview last weekend. Has the decision been made on this matter? Students are trying to get their voices heard. They have been clear on what they want and it is unfair that we are putting this further pressure and stress on them now and not listening to them.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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The Minister said the Department is offering students more choice in the papers and that some exams have been postponed until the Easter holidays. That does not really matter a damn. It is not the point or the issue. The issue now is whether there will be a traditional leaving certificate or non-traditional leaving certificate. What is the Minister's answer on that?

On the mental health issue, the Minister and I both know there is a mental health crisis in schools. Is she going to compound that further by imposing a leaving certificate that 70% of students - that is seven in ten - are against, as shown clearly by the ISSU poll?

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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We all anticipated that the Minister's response would kick this question into tomorrow's meeting. I understand how things work. What I did not anticipate was that her response so far does not even contemplate giving students the choice, even though the Government has stated it is open to that. I am hoping the Minister will say in her next reply that she is open to that. I urge her to take that decision early because the situation students are in at the minute is unbearable due to the uncertainty, stress and pressure they are under. Many of these students will have missed upwards of eight weeks of in-class time last year and potentially five or six weeks between themselves and the teacher covering the subject this year. Teachers are saying they will not organise mock exams on certain subjects because they have not covered the course. That is the reality they are facing.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I again thank the Deputies for their contributions. I will note them. In my previous response, I took the opportunity to outline the progress and consultation that has taken place to this point. It has been a process of progress and consultation, which is important. As I have already outlined, it is a consultation with the widest possible representation of stakeholders through the advisory body. That includes students and they have been very much part of the process, which continues tomorrow. That is right and proper. It has been the hallmark of progress to this point for the leaving certificate in 2022 and equally so for those in 2020 and 2021.

I emphasise that I am acutely aware of the disruption caused to students who are taking the exam in 2022. The Department will continue to engage with education stakeholders to ensure the best interests of all students are at the heart of all decisions made relating to the leaving certificate in 2022. There was ongoing engagement in planning prior to the return to school when plans were put in place for accommodations to exam papers. As I outlined earlier, other accommodations such as second sittings of exams and the provision of exams at Easter outside of school time will be made.

There will be a further opportunity tomorrow to hear all voices and opinions at the advisory group meeting in what has always been an open and constructive manner. An opportunity will be afforded to each of the stakeholders tomorrow to articulate their views, experiences and representative thoughts and ideas on the next stages of development for the process. I look forward to that opportunity. I have always supported the opportunity for the widest possible stakeholder engagement, including with students, and I will continue to do that. It is a proper process and it is right and proper that that opportunity be facilitated tomorrow.