Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 97: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the charge proposed to be levied on students wishing to sit the 2008 junior certificate examinations; the charges that were levied in each year from 2002 to date in 2007; the way these charges are calculated; the discussions undertaken with other Government Departments and agencies, including the Department of Social and Family Affairs, before setting these charges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28479/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Entry fees for the 2008 Junior Certificate Examination have not yet been determined. I expect that a decision will be taken very shortly with a view to announcing the new fee levels before the end of the current school term. The standard Junior Certificate examination fee that applied for the years 2002 to 2007 are set out in the following table:

Examination fees are generally increased each year in line with increases in the consumer price index. It has not been the practice to hold discussions with the Department of Social and Family Affairs or any other Government agency before setting examination fee levels. There is an alleviation scheme in place whereby current medical card holders and their dependents are exempt from the payment of examination fees. This exemption applies to approximately 30% of all examination candidates each year.

I should point out that the income received from examination fees generally covers only a fraction of the cost of running the examinations. The costs associated with the certificate examinations have been increasing significantly in recent years due to the introduction of new methods of assessment in various subjects and to continuing increases in special arrangements for students with special needs.