Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I wish to raise the matter of leaving certificate result appeals, the delay in giving them out to colleges and third level institutions, the impact this has on college places and the implications for individual students. It can mean that they do not get to take up the course they want in the year they do their leaving certificate. A constituent of mine, Charlotte Joyce, has been in correspondence with the Minister's Department and I would be grateful if she could get a comprehensive reply from the Department on the points that she researched and forwarded to it.

I am glad to have the opportunity to raise the matter on the Adjournment. The Minister for Education and Science needs to review the timeframe for leaving certificate results, which can mean that students do not get an opportunity to appeal their results in time to obtain a college place of their choice. I hope the Minister will take an interest in the issue. With some goodwill and perhaps some changes to procedures, the Department could deal with the issue and remove the stress involved for individuals and families.

The appeals process for the leaving certificate examination is riddled with delays, which can result in students being excluded from taking up their preferred college place in that year through no fault of their own. The system seems unfair. If students appeal their result and a marking error is found when the script is rechecked, they will be awarded the additional points, but at that stage it will be too late for them to take up their college place and they must wait an entire academic year, with all the implications of that for the individual.

I will outline to the Minister the timeline for the results and highlight the difficulties posed to students. Leaving certificate results will be issued on 13 August. If students are not happy with their results and they or their teachers believe they should have done better, they can lodge an appeal, but the result of the appeal will not be issued until 8 October. That is too late for them to be included in the universities as their numbers are capped for the academic year. Even though students have achieved the required marks, they will be advised to wait until the following year. That seems unfair on a student who has worked tirelessly to obtain the place and has achieved the required marks. I ask the Government to examine the issue and find a way in which to deal with it so that students can take up their place in the same year they do their exam.

I hope the Department and the Minister will engage with teachers, school management bodies, the State Examinations Commission and the Higher Education Authority and that collectively they will generate innovative ideas to overcome this inequity in our education system, which could be remedied fairly easily.