Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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The CAO process applications for undergraduate courses on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions. Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO, and it is not within our remit to determine CAO points levels, which are determined by the grades received by students, the number of applicants for a course and the number of places available.

I know how difficult a time it has been for students and parents, and we appreciate how disappointing it can be not to receive an offer for your course of choice, but we would like to stress the range of options available both in further education and training and apprenticeships, but also in pathways in higher education. For those whose route into higher education may not be what they originally planned, there are many pathways available in the further and higher education system.