Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, for being back in the House again. We have discussed this previously in the Seanad. As we head into mock exam season, there is an urgent need for clarity and certainty for students with dyslexia and dyscalculia in the 2026 leaving certificate. A 2009 expert advisory group recommended immediate roll-out of extra time in exams in the leaving certificate for students with dyslexia and dyscalculia. More recently, Dr. Keith Murphy, from TU Dublin, and child psychologist Dr. Colman Noctor have echoed those requests, 17 years later. We have seen no major progress.

The impact is heartbreaking in a lot of cases. A few weeks ago, at a meeting of the Oireachtas joint committee on education, we had before us Sive O'Brien, who is a senior cycle student in the Bower, in Athlone. Sive outlined the fact that, despite being an incredibly intelligent student and having the ability to answer the questions in exams, she did not finish one of her junior certificate exams.Students study 12, 13 or 14 subjects to exam for the junior certificate. She did not finish one of them. Dyslexia Ireland has consistently called for a national roll-out of this. I raised this in the Oireachtas committee. I put it out on my social media channels and the feedback I got was absolutely overwhelming, from both the students themselves and their parents. I have been stopped on the street to be thanked for raising this on behalf of students to try to get the right thing done. This is the right thing to do for the 2026 leaving certificate across the board nationally. It is already the norm at third level. Basically, the State Examinations Commission, SEC, is about to engage in a review project of the pilot scheme that is going to be potentially done in the 2026 leaving certificate, if it continues as it says it has and goes ahead with what it is planning to do. However, the third level researchers who will review it are already implementing extra time when they give their students exams. It is ten minutes per hour or part of an hour of an exam. That is the norm at third level where we are going to ask them to review what is happening at second level and I do not think that makes sense.

From the State Examinations Commission itself, we had Ms Feeney in. In that joint Oireachtas committee, she claimed that significant progress, in her words, and significant change has happened. In 17 years since the first expert advisory group told it to immediately roll it out nationally, it has not. It may roll it out on a pilot project basis in 2026. It does not get the lasting damage this does to students. It does not get the fact that it is creating a self-image of failure and inferiority when we set students up to fail. They cannot process the information in time to get their answers out on paper and it is causing them severe anxiety and dismay when they fail their exams through no fault of their own because of the system that is set up to make them fail.

We do not need expensive pilot programmes or reviews. We need extra time right now for students in the 2026 leaving certificate. I know the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is not here today. She is the eighth senior Minister who has had this on their table. It is not her fault but I really need her to intervene right now and tell the SEC to do what it should have done years ago, which is to roll it out nationally in 2026 and give students extra time. One final thing: it will not cost a cent - not a single cent - to the State to give them extra time in exams and I think it is a no-brainer.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I am grateful to the Senator for raising this really important issue once again. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for education.

As the Senator is aware, the State Examinations Commission has responsibility for the reasonable accommodations at certificate examinations, RACE, scheme. A central tenet of the RACE scheme is to ensure equitable treatment for all candidates. The range of accommodations provided within the scheme has been designed to ensure fairness for all when facilitating candidates in demonstrating their level of achievement. It is important to note that access to the scheme is needs-based rather than based on a specific diagnosis. This is in line with best practice internationally and with well-embedded special education policy in Ireland.

Candidates who have learning difficulties, including dyslexia, are provided with accommodations on the grounds of a learning difficulty without the need for any diagnosis. This is established by criteria, such as a standard score test for reading and-or writing conducted by the school, and by the description of the candidate's normal way of working in school in the application form. The SEC, as the Senator is aware, is currently undertaking a review of the RACE scheme in the context of senior cycle redevelopment and of the wider special educational needs policy landscape. This is a comprehensive and system-wide review of the scheme.

The programme for Government commits to developing an appropriate mechanism to allow additional time for students with specific needs and, in certain circumstances, and to ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations. The review by the SEC, which is now well under way, will seek to take account of these and other relevant issues and best practice internationally.

The review is directed by the board of commissioners of the SEC and overseen by a steering group, with the terms of reference published on the SEC website. The inclusion of internal SEC members as well as external members is to ensure that rolling changes can be implemented as the review progresses, rather than awaiting a big bang approach at the end of the full review period. This will ensure any changes are implemented as early as possible and, quite clearly, in the interest of students.

Already, and on a pilot basis for the 2025 examinations, additional time for vision-impaired candidates, who are under the care of the visiting teacher service, was increased from ten minutes per hour or part of an hour to 15 minutes for junior cycle, leaving certificate applied and leaving certificate. These arrangements were piloted for all those students nationally who were deemed eligible.

Given the wide range of difficulties for which accommodations are sought, the review is seeking the views of users through extensive consultation and engagement to capture all perspectives and ensure all voices are heard equally. This will include and has included young people with special educational needs, their families and representative organisations. I understand the State Examinations Commission has met a number of times with Dyslexia Ireland, for example, among other bodies. I know it has appeared before the joint Oireachtas committee. These consultations will inform any appropriate changes to the shape of the scheme for the 2026 State examinations and beyond.

The State Examinations Commission has recently issued the RACE instructions for schools for 2026. While the SEC has not confirmed any adjustments to the RACE scheme for the 2026 examinations within this publication, it has confirmed that it is continuing to work on piloting arrangements for additional time to be in place for the 2026 examinations. The SEC is actively working to determine appropriate conditions of eligibility. All those nationally who meet the appropriate conditions of eligibility will be included.

The SEC acknowledges that there is increasing complexity in the special educational landscape and, by extension, in the impact on candidates with special educational needs taking the certificate examinations. The extensive consultation and engagement to be undertaken as part of this comprehensive review will provide an opportunity for the views of those affected to be fully reflected.

Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. I have to be brutally honest. As a language teacher myself, that is not a good enough response. It is coming from the SEC. I know it is not the Minister who is directly responding there - she has to liaise with the SEC to be able to respond - but that is not a good enough response and it lets students down massively in this country. It is becoming increasingly frustrating to have to deal with the SEC when it is basically digging its heels in. It might as well be honest and say that it is worried that if it increases exam time for all students across the board with dyslexia and dyscalculia, it may disadvantage other students. It is worried about the overall integrity of the exams. That is the basic honesty of this. It is saying it is in line with best practice to roll it out on a pilot project basis and try to control the lack of a big bang at the end. Let us listen to Dr. Colman Noctor, a child psychologist. Let us listen to Dr. Keith Murphy in TU Dublin. Let us listen to the experts who are telling us it is not best practice to put students under time pressure in exams.

Take Irish, for example. Some 14% of students are asking for exemptions. One of the main reasons is they feel under pressure to spit stuff out on paper under massive time pressure in an exam and it is just not good enough anymore. In 2009, an expert advisory group told the SEC to immediately roll it out nationally. In 2026, we are looking at what is in line with best practice to try to make sure there are appropriate conditions for eligibility. Give them the extra time. I am sorry; this is not the Minister of State's fault but this is becoming so frustrating and it is just not good enough anymore. We cannot accept this. For people of the country, as TDs and Senators, we are supposed to make sure the best outcomes happen in the education system for students. This is just not good enough and I am sorry, I just cannot accept that response.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The point I would make is that more than one in four candidates at the 2025 certificate examinations were provided with some form of reasonable accommodation within the RACE scheme to support them in accessing the State examinations, underlining the importance of the scheme. In 2025, 36,000 candidates in 750 post-primary schools were accommodated in the scheme. I completely understand the Senator's frustration; I am not going to mince my words here. He and I had this discussion before and it was raised and replied to in good faith. Of course, the Minister welcomes the SEC's intention to pilot a scheme of additional time on a national basis at the 2026 certificate examinations. There are processes in place for a good reason. It is not my reason. I share the Senator's frustration. It makes absolute sense, for me, to add additional time but all I can say is I will convey the Senator's very real frustration and that of thousands of families around the country to the Minister and the SEC.

Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. I understand Senator Curley is taking over from me here. I thank him very much.