Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason certain achievements, qualifications and certification gained by young persons in out-of-school activities or in-school extra curricular activities are not given recognition by the CAO system for college entry. [19502/12]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the UCAS system that operates in the North of Ireland which provides a tariff system for the recognition of non-school based certification in, for example, speech and drama, music, computer studies and a broad range of other activities and pursuits and his views on the reason there are two materially different systems in both jurisdictions that result in many young persons opting to undertake their speech and drama and music examinations with Northern based examinations boards. [19503/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 42 together.

Higher education institutions have delegated to the CAO the task of processing applications to their undergraduate courses and as autonomous institutions are responsible for setting their own eligibility and other entry criteria. Higher Education institutions are currently considering and progressing implementation of the recommendations of the report arising from the joint HEA-NCCA conference on the transition between second and third level.

While the entry systems to third level in Ireland and in the UK are inevitably different, the opportunity for Irish students to study in the UK, and the reciprocal arrangements for UK students, are greatly valued as contributing to and adding value to the close ties between Ireland and the UK.