Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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101. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has plans for the leaving certificate exams for 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45214/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On 30 June this year, the Advisory Group on Planning for State Examinations received an update in relation to the 2022 Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations.

Following this meeting, I announced that adjustments would be made to the 2022 examinations which are similar to those that were published in December 2020 in respect of Leaving Certificate 2021.

The adjustments are outlined in the document 'Assessment Arrangements for Junior and Leaving Certificate 2022', which is available online.

These adjustments will leave intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice for students in the examinations.

The adjustments provide greater choice for candidates across a wide range of subjects.

A summary advice note setting out the key curriculum and assessment arrangements for the Leaving Certificate Applied programme, for Year 1 and Year 2 students in the 2021/22 school year, has also been published and is available online.

It was also announced, on 30 June that the State Examinations Commission will run an alternative set of Leaving Certificate Examinations in 2022, shortly following the main set of examinations. The SEC will set out the eligibility conditions for these examinations, which will be limited to certain students who are unable to sit the main set of examinations due to close family bereavement, COVID-19 illness during those examinations, and certain other categories of serious illness.

The SEC will issue further details regarding these examinations, with all arrangements developed in consultation with public health specialists. There will also be further engagement with stakeholders in this matter.