Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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88. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on an election style media moratorium on the reporting of State examinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28335/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I will not be seeking a moratorium on media coverage during the State examinations. It is important that the examinations are seen to be open and transparent and that is why, for example, the papers are available to everyone on the SEC website www.examinations.ie the evening of the examination. Apart from the difficulty in trying to secure a moratoirum on coverage in the newspapers, radio and television, it would be impossible to have such an arrangement in the social media which many young people use.

I am, however, aware of the effects that adverse media coverage can have on the candidates. It can be unnerving and stressful. In that context, the issue of media coverage is constantly reviewed.