Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 754: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention was drawn to allegations concerning the marking of the leaving certificate Irish paper for 2005; if she has raised this matter with the State Examinations Commission; if so, the response she received from the commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10328/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. Having made inquiries of the commission about the matter raised by the Deputy, I have been advised of certain matters which I will outline.

The revision of draft marking schemes is a normal part of the process which applies to every subject. Following the examinations each year, the chief examiner and his or her advising team prepare a draft marking scheme for each subject. A meeting of the relevant examiners is convened and the draft marking scheme is explained and discussed at a marking conference. The effectiveness of the marking scheme is tested by putting it into action on a random sample of candidates' work. When this process has been completed, the final marking scheme is prepared. Changes may be made to the draft scheme in light of feedback from examiners, advice from advising-senior examiners or in the light of certain trends associated with the spread of the grades.

The review of the marking scheme that applies to every subject after the initial sampling is a normal part of the marking process. This is one of the ways to ensure quality control, ensuring that there is uniformity in the scheme and among the various markers.

In the case of higher level Irish in the 2005 leaving certificate, the review of the draft marking scheme highlighted the need for a number of changes. A diagnostic test was carried out on some exam scripts before a final decision was taken about the definitive marking scheme. All examiners had 50 scripts marked at this stage and many had more than that number completed. The final marking scheme was applied to all candidates, requiring the remarking of the scripts marked earlier and the examiners were paid the standard fee for this in line with normal practice. Marks were awarded on the basis of the criteria in the final marking scheme.

The leaving certificate examination operates in a transparent manner that is to the fore of international practice. Marking schemes are published and candidates are given an opportunity to view their scripts before deciding whether to appeal their grades. There is provision for a comprehensive appeals process. Some 0.9% of candidates scored grades E, F or NG in higher level Irish in the 2005 leaving certificate. That compares with figures of 0.6% in 2004, 1.4% in 2003 and 0.7% in 2002.