Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 448: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the discussions she has had with the State Examinations Commission regarding the use of dictionaries in exams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24809/07]

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, including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations.

The Commission operates a scheme of accommodations in the certificate examinations which includes provision for the use of bilingual dictionaries by candidates whose first language is not English or Irish. Bilingual translation dictionaries between the candidate's first language and English or Irish (i.e. without explanation of terms/definition) are permitted. Electronic bilingual dictionaries, translators, wordlists or glossaries are not permitted. This accommodation has been a feature of the scheme since 2004.

The use of a bilingual dictionary is not permitted in the case of examinations in the following subjects, viz.English Irish The candidate's first language A language closely related to the candidate's first language (Where a query arises as to the definition of a closely related language, the Commission must be consulted in advance of the examination for advice in this respect).

The following are details in relation to the level of uptake of this accommodation since 2004—