Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is very welcome. I acknowledge the work she has done in the Department. It has been a difficult year and she has been a steady pair of hands. Well done to her. I also acknowledge the difficult years students throughout the school system experienced in 2020 and 2021, especially those for whom the leaving certificate has been their primary focus for most of their lives.It is important that this year we were able to offer them a choice of sitting the examination, opting for accredited grades, or both. It is important that we learned from the mistakes we made last year. Offering a choice was the correct decision.

The Bill provides statutory indemnity for all teachers providing marks as part of the process and sanctions for those canvassing for increased marks or providing false information. Importantly, it will regularise the results for those who chose to take the written examinations in November 2020. However, there is a group of students who, unfortunately, suffered. I refer to the students who sat the leaving certificate in 2019 and did not take up a place in college. Many of them lost out on their choices due to the large increase in points. I wish all students sitting exams well. I thank the teachers for their work and support in recent months.

I thank the Minister for meeting me, Deputy Flaherty and the principal of St. Mel's College about infrastructural improvements. We were seeking additional classrooms for the old school building. It was a very positive meeting and I thank the Minister for facilitating it.

I wish to raise with the Minister a number of projects that are important for September 2021 and I ask her to take note of them. Cnoc Mhuire Secondary School in Granard, which has 450 pupils, made an application for additional accommodation to be provided for September 2021. I urge the Minister to examine this matter as there has been a significant increase in enrolment at the school and it is experiencing difficulties.

Will the Minister also consider meeting me, Deputy Flaherty and the principal of Meán Scoil Mhuire in Longford town to discuss the school building, which has reached capacity? There is no play area for more than 500 pupils. Funding was provided for temporary classrooms in an adjoining printing works, but that is not a long-term solution. The pupils, parents and teaching body need certainty for the future. I ask the Minister to consider having a similar meeting to the one we had to progress the project for Meán Scoil Mhuire in Longford. I thank her very much.