Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware that the timing of issue of results is of course an important issue for the further and higher .education sector, in the context of planning for the transition from post-primary to further and higher education. In that regard, my Department, together with the State Examinations Commission and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, met with the higher education stakeholders in March. This included the Irish Universities Association, Technological Higher Education Association, Union of Students in Ireland and the CAO.

I understand that about 0.5% of new entrants into undergraduate courses in Ireland each year are from Northern Ireland. This translates as between 200 and 300 new entrants from Northern Ireland into undergraduate courses in Ireland each year.

The State Examinations Commission, or the SEC, has responsibility for the development, operation and delivery of the State examinations. The SEC has recently confirmed that it intends to issue the Leaving Certificate 2023 results on Friday, the 25^thof August.

This is a full week earlier than the 2022 results, which issued on the 2^ndof September last year. It is a significant and very welcome step towards pre-pandemic norms in relation to the timing for issue of results.

Within this timeframe, the SEC is again this year providing a deferred examinations sitting for candidates unable to sit the main exams due to bereavement or major illness or injury. It will also implement a post-marking adjustment in the context of avoiding any cliff edge in grades as compared to the pandemic years. This will happen after all marking is complete.

I want to acknowledge the huge effort and commitment by the SEC to deliver this timeline, while maintaining these important student-centred elements of the process.

I also want to take the opportunity to thank all those teachers who are engaging in examining work, and whose efforts are crucial to the delivery of these results for the more than 135,000 students altogether who have sat this year’s Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Cycle exam took place at over 800 post-primary schools and other venues across Ireland.

The SEC advises that candidates' results will be transferred to the Central Applications Office or the CAO at the earliest opportunity to facilitate progress to higher education. While the CAO falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation, I understand that the CAO has announced that the Round 1 offer date will be the 30th of August this year.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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102. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether she has engaged with the State Examinations Commission regarding Leaving Certificate maths papers. [31632/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The State Examinations Commission or the SEC has responsibility for the development, operation and delivery of the State examinations. In accordance with its role, all matters relating to the drafting and setting of examinations and the marking of them fall within its remit. Ensuring integrity and fairness in the examinations is a core part of the SEC’s role.

The SEC has advised that examination papers and draft marking schemes are developed through a rigorous development process to meet the requirements of the relevant syllabi and standards of assessment. The examination paper development process involves a multi-stage process of drafting, setting, translating and various layers of oversight and scrutiny. Those involved are experts in the subject who are also teachers.

As part of the normal paper development process, Mathematics papers for 2023 were reviewed by subject experts before they were finalised in order to assess their suitability, the appropriateness of how they assess various learning outcomes set out in the subject specification or syllabus, the clarity of language in them and the demand they present.

Leaving Certificate examination papers are also subject to review by university representatives who view the draft examination papers and marking schemes. The role of the representatives is to verify to the university authorities that the examinations are satisfactory for matriculation purposes.

A detailed manual setting out the process is available on the website of the SEC which is www.examinations.ie. The Manual for Drafters, Setters and Assistant Setters can be found under Publications, on the About Us section of the website (www.examinations.ie/about-us/Setting%20Manual_rev3.pdf)

The Department engages regularly with the SEC on a range of matters relating to the examinations, and there has been engagement in respect of this particular issue. In terms of marking, the SEC advises that examiners in Maths, who are generally experienced teachers in the subject, work under the overall direction and management of the Chief Examiner for the subject.

The Chief Examiner for each examination takes all necessary steps to ensure that the examination paper, the marking scheme and its application to the work produced in that year’s examination combine to ensure that the performance standards are appropriately set and maintained. The approach taken by the SEC to the development of the final marking schemes ensures consistency in the marking and fairness to candidates.

The SEC has also advised that commentary and correspondence on the examinations from students, parents, teachers, professional bodies and other interested parties, which is a normal part of the examinations process, is brought to the attention of the Chief Examiner and is considered in the refinement of the draft marking scheme. Any such correspondence received in my Department has been brought to the SEC's attention.

The Deputy may also wish to note that the National Educational Psychology Service, has developed a range of online wellbeing resources and supports for Leaving Certificate students, which are available on gov.ie atWellbeing support for Leaving Certificate students, parents and school staff (www.gov.ie).