Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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115. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reform the CAO form to include further education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43173/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The CAO is a company set up by the Higher Education Institutions in order to process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf. The HEIs are autonomous and determine their own criteria in relation to admissions. They HEIs make decisions on admissions and instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates.

I am conscious that CAO system is very well known and can often dominate the national discourse in relation to the options available for students completing the Leaving Certificate. There are a host of routes into further and higher education, for school leavers and older adults returning to or continuing their education. I would like there to be clear and equal visibility of all of the options for all learners and potential learners in a single user-friendly location.

It is my intention that an important part of the work of my new Department will be to expand and streamline life-long and life-wide pathways between and within further and higher education and training. This will involve a comprehensive review of the current further and higher education pathways.