-----very clearly that we have not answered the needs of students, but I am saying we specifically went through each of the four issues that were raised by students. They asked for clarity, greater choice and that we would address the issues of grade inflation and accredited grades. We were able to address three out of four of those issues for them, but because of an absence of data, we were not able to address the fourth one. We have made sufficient and significant changes to the papers to accommodate the students…

In recent weeks, I have attended a meeting with the advisory group on State examinations, which has representatives of students, parents, teachers, managerial bodies, the further and higher education sector, and the State Examinations Commission, SEC. Following on from this meeting, I met with the members of the advisory group on a bilateral basis and also had further engagement with each of them thereafter. I have listened carefully to what each of these stakeholders has had to say and examined each of their point…

As I outlined, I have engaged with all the stakeholders, including parents, students, teachers and school management bodies. I have listened to the proposals they put on the table and evaluated each one of them. They were primarily around making additional changes to the written papers - the exams as we know them - and I answered that. Substantial additional changes have been made to the papers. I was also asked to consider grade inflation. I am amazed that the only people the Deputy heard speaking about grade infl…

What has been set out today is that there will be additional choice which means there is greater time and less content required to be studied to take these exams in June. We are not just talking about the written exams but also the orals and practical exams. There have been accommodations along the line there. That was a chief consideration for the students and one they raised consistently around the table. They felt that the class of 2022 could not compete with the class of 2021 because of grade inflation. A conce…

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that a project for the schools to which he refers has recently been approved. The single project will provide for the construction of a 41-classroom primary school for Trinity National School as well as the development of an eight-classroom primary school for Tuam Educate Together National School on the same site. Special education needs classes are also being provided for both schools. I can also confirm that the project for Trinity National School will facilitate the amalgamation…

I thank the Deputy. I agree with him this is a very significant and positive development and an ambitious project for the town and rightly so. The single project will provide, as I have said, for the construction of a 41-classroom primary school for Trinity national school as well as the development of an eight-classroom primary school for Tuam Educate Together national school together on the same site. The timeline for the completion of the campus projects progressed together as a single project should not be expe…

I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge the commendation of the patrons. There has been a very strong collaborative and co-operative approach taken here and that is very important. In all sectors of society and most notably in the education sector, we can achieve great things when we enter into the spirit of collaboration and co-operation. This is an excellent example of patrons coming together, of there being a very clear and defined ambition for education in Tuam and because of the collective engagement and the generos…

I thank the Deputy for raising the question. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the current school year more than 121,400 children, including more than 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289 million in 2021. The Department commenced a review of the school transport scheme in February 2021. The review is being conducted …

I thank the Deputy for the points he raised. On some of them, for example the 70 years of age rule, that is something that is across the public sector and not unique to this operation here. In many of the issues he raises, this requires a wide and all-encompassing review of the system to ensure it is serving the students and their families. This year we introduced the eligibility for students who were not necessarily attending their nearest school but their second-nearest school. We have done that because there is …

I appreciate the points raised by the Deputy because I appreciate the importance of the school transport system, especially in rural constituencies such as ours. I was, therefore, very clear that there needed to be a review of the system as it currently stands. I ensured that the review began, which it did in a timely fashion, and that interim recommendations were made to me. I have actioned those recommendations. The Deputy has raised different points, but it is important that everybody gets the opportunity to fla…

Yes, there is an openness for submissions.

I am very aware of the disruption experienced by students who are due to take their junior cycle examinations this year. The State Examinations Commission, SEC, with my Department, has been progressing planning for these examinations in consultation with, as I have previously outlined, the advisory group on planning for the State examinations, which has met on a number of occasions to consider this matter. As I previously said, I also met with this group on a bilateral basis over recent weeks. Following considerati…

I will be clear that 2022 is the first year that all the new subject specifications for junior cycle will be assessed by the SEC. Those specifications provide for a very flexible and wide-realm approach in respect of questions and options being made available to students. A number of significant adjustments have been made. I know from my own experience that the requirement that a number of CBAs take place for a subject is quite a time constraint within the classroom. Those have, therefore, been cut by 50%. The asse…

It is important to reiterate that there have been changes, amendments and alterations to the paper. The papers have been tailored to meet the needs of the class of 2022. I will again specifically reference, as somebody who has worked in the area, that it is a considerable benefit that the number of CBAs has been reduced by 50%. To address the time issue raised by the Deputy, I know it is also a considerable benefit that the assessment task no longer takes place. The adjustments that have been made to practicals, in…

As already outlined to the House, in recent weeks I attended a meeting with the advisory group on State examinations, which is representative of students, parents, teachers, managerial bodies, the further and higher education sector and the State Examinations Commission. Following on from this meeting, I met with the members of the advisory group on a one-to one or bilateral basis and also had further engagement with each of them thereafter. I listened carefully to what each of these stakeholders had to say and exa…

I reiterate that we are all very conscious of the difficulties of the past two years for the education sector and for wider society, but most specifically in this instance for our students. As I have previously outlined to the House, I have engaged with students, parents, teachers and school management bodies. There were four key points consistently raised by students, including the necessity to have clarity, which we have provided today. We were in a position to do that earlier this year than was achieved last yea…

I thank the Deputies. On Deputy Murnane O'Connor's specific question with regard to the accommodation for students who have a significant illness, a bereavement or are impacted by Covid, it may have escaped the Deputy but I did announce some time ago that there is a contingency second sitting of the examination, which will take place immediately after the first sitting of the examination. This is for exceptional cases such as a medical issue pertaining to a student, a bereavement or an issue pertaining to Covid. I …

As the Deputy will no doubt be aware, there has been significant growth in post-primary student numbers in the Swords area in recent years. Across the Swords school planning area, total post-primary enrolments have increased by over 800 pupils since 2011. Enrolments at Fingal Community College have grown by over 300 in that same timeframe and additional accommodation was provided at the school in 2015 and 2016 in order to address the increased pupil numbers. In the context of further increasing pupil numbers at Fin…

I appreciate the case that the Deputy makes. I recognise the necessity for the area. The key issue is that the school site is extremely constrained, as the Deputy identified. That is presenting considerable challenges in delivering the required volume of accommodation necessary for the school. It is a tribute to the school that it is growing. The Department is heavily committed to working to formulate an appropriate long-term solution to meet the accommodation needs of the school. We are doing that. I acknowledge t…

I thank the Deputies. I appreciate their points and the acknowledgement there is an absolute commitment on the part of the Department to the advancement of the school Deputy Farrell mentioned. On the point raised by Deputy Crowe, I can confirm the school to which he referred has been approved for a project under the Department's additional accommodation scheme. The project will provide for one mainstream classroom and a two-classroom special educational needs base. I am also pleased to inform the Deputy that the De…