Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the plight of the leaving certificate class of 2022. It is an issue on which the Leader herself and many others in the Chamber have spoken as well. We all know the leaving certificate period is an extremely stressful time for both the pupils themselves and their parents and indeed the entire household of a pupil going through the process. That stress is now compounded by what the leaving certificate class of 2022 has gone through with the additional stresses Covid has brought along. I have received many telephone calls from students and parents in recent weeks who are calling for finality and for a decision to be made sooner rather than later on this issue. For anyone to suggest this leaving certificate class should be treated differently to those of the preceding two years is grossly unfair. This year's class have been impacted as much as the classes of 2021 and 2020. I compliment the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and all the stakeholders including parents, students and the Department on the work they have done in the last number of years to come up with a model whereby predicted grades were able to satisfy the vast majority. It is impossible to satisfy everyone with these things. I appreciate this is difficult and talks are ongoing on this issue. I ask that a final push be made on behalf of the students of the leaving certificate class of 2022 so they too can get a fair crack of the whip, so to speak, and that some form of predicted grades could be adopted to facilitate them. That decision would remove some of the stress they are currently experiencing.