Mary Moran (Labour)

I send my good wishes to the 116,774 students who began the State examinations this morning. From my teaching experience I understand how stressful examination time can be for students but we need to send them out the message to keep calm and remind them that they always know more than they think they know.

As a mother of two children who are sitting State examinations this year, one is sitting the junior certificate and the other the leaving certificate, this is my third year in a row when I have had a child sitting State examinations. I am well aware of the pressure students can place on themselves but students should see this as an opportunity to demonstrate their talents and to look on the positive side. It is a showcase for the culmination of all their hard work.

I welcome the junior certificate cycle review which will come into place in 2014 where State examinations will not just depend on a student's performance on a particular day.

There are changes to two of the leaving certificate subjects - Irish and mathematics - this year. For the first time higher level mathematics will carry 25 bonus CAO points, which is to be very much welcomed, to encourage students to take higher level mathematics. In addition, in the oral part of the Irish paper there will be a picture section. I call for a debate on the taking of Irish as a subject at leaving certificate and the alarming drop in the number of students who take Irish at second level.

I welcome the arrival of the Olympic torch to Ireland today. It was symbolically passed over at the Border north of Dundalk this morning and it was a fitting gesture that it was handed over by a Protestant sporting hero to a Catholic sporting hero on the Border. I reiterate President Higgins's words this morning that the flame's arrival in Ireland symbolised the growing closeness between Ireland and the United Kingdom, no doubt heightened by the visit of the Queen last year.