Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Feb 1992

Vol. 416 No. 1

Written Answers. - Examination Fee Refund.

Jimmy Deenihan

Question:

126 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Education if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is entitled to a refund of £200 which he paid to sit the leaving certificate in a school (details supplied) in County Kerry, in November 1990.

Minister for Education (Mr. S. Brennan)

The fee of £200 which the Deputy refers to is the fee paid by a candidate who remains in school in order to repeat the leaving certificate examination. The fee is made up of two components. A sum of £100 was paid by the candidate in respect of the examination entry fee and a further £100 was paid in respect of the course fee.

With regard to the examination entry fee, the position is that the candidate did not sit the examination, but my Department was not informed at any stage of his intention not to sit. Futhermore no application for a refund was made to my Department. In any event such an application would only have been considered in exceptional circumstances, e.g. if the candidate was unable to sit because of illness.

The position in regard to the course fee is that payment of this fee is one of the conditions under which pupils are enrolled on repeat leaving certificate courses. This enables my Department to pay aper capita grant to the school and to include the pupil in the count for teacher quota allocation, though, of course, it covers only a small part of the resultant costs. There is no provision for a refund of fees in the case of a pupil who does not complete his final year's study.