Written answers

Thursday, 24 September 2020

Department of Education and Skills

Third Level Admissions

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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200. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make additional third-level places available in high demand courses to ensure that students that were downgraded in their leaving certificate exam through standardisation do not lose out on a college place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26154/20]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In order to help mitigate the impact of the changes to the grading system, I announced the creation of an additional 2,225 places on high-demand courses in Higher Education Institutions. These places have resulted in the highest ever number of applicants receiving a CAO offers, with 53,815 CAO applicants receiving round one offers on Friday 11th September.

It is not envisaged that any places further to these 2,225 will be provided.

A summary of the additional places provided, by subject area, is available in the table below:

Subject Area Additional Places
Architecture 23
Arts & Humanities 476
Business 430
Creative Arts 41
Dentistry 18
Education 170
Engineering 313
Law 142
Music 9
Science 220
Information Technology 31
Nursing 134
Medicine, Health & Physical 218
Total 2225

Photo of Holly CairnsHolly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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201. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to universities limiting the number of students that can defer their places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26230/20]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Higher Education Institutions are autonomous with regard to their academic and administrative affairs, including in relation to admissions. Therefore any limits on the number of deferrals are a matter for the HEIs themselves and neither I nor my Department have a role in this matter.

I understand, based on the information available to me, that some HEIs are placing limits on the proportion of students in any given course that can defer a place until next year. This is to avoid a situation in which the number of places available to students applying in 2021 is significantly lessened due to deferrals. Students who are unable to defer their entry can re-apply to the CAO during the 2021 application cycle.

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