Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the news from the Minister, Deputy Foley, today that she will move to address the problem of grade inflation at leaving certificate and that we will move back slowly, starting with the leaving certificate in 2025. Obviously, it will not impact on any leaving certificate students this year. However, I am concerned that those who might have benefited from the grade inflation in recent years may have an advantage if they are competing against students for higher education places. I hope the Minister will come to the House to explain the process that she intends to follow through so that certainty can be given to those who will sit their leaving certificate examinations in 2025 and subsequent years. It is important that she will continue to engage with the Irish Second Level Students Union on this.

I have raised the long-term impact of Covid on young people here before. Much of that will only begin to manifest itself, particularly for that lockdown generation. Those children and young people who in many ways experienced social isolation and, in some instances, lack of access to physical activity. A number of reports are now beginning to show the impact that is having on the mental health and social adaptability of groups of young people. There is a socialisation gap. It is not among all young people but there are obviously certain cohorts about whom concerns have been expressed. The reputable science publication Nature spoke about the impact on physical fitness on a global level on those who were confined during the Covid period. There are many elements of growing up. The Covid period impacted on us all in an enormous way but specifically for those young people, we need to look at a long-term strategy to address the manifestation of some of those problems. I hope the Leader will invite the Minister to the House on those issues.