Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I endorse and agree with all the compliments paid to him by Senator D'Arcy.

Before I address the Bill, let me address two developments that have caused great satisfaction. The Minister will remember that on the Adjournment last year, reference was made to two mistakes on the leaving certificate mathematics paper. Former Senator Deirdre Clune was an engineer, the Minister had architecture experience and I had George Humphrey from the Irish Mathematics Teachers Association. The errors did not happen this year and over 100,000 young people were much happier. I commend the Minister on this. The Minister did ask people to sit the leaving certificate examination to determine whether it was possible to do it this year. It was very fair to 18-year-olds that some adults sat the paper. I commend the Minister on that.