It is not the practice to provide alternative papers for the Leaving Certificate examination.
Replacement question papers were made available in two subjects for this year's Leaving Certificate examination because the Department of Justice informed my Department, on 23 May, that an individual Garda officer had received reports from a confidential and reliable source that copies of Leaving Certificate question papers in German and English were in circulation.
Subsequent Garda inquiries have not produced direct evidence to substantiate these reports.
Because of the rigorous security procedures which are in place, students, parents and teachers need not be concerned about reports of leaks of examination papers or other breaches in security which circulate from time to time. All reports are monitored carefully and appropriate action is taken if deemed necessary.
In this particular instance, as the report had come from the Department of Justice and had originated with the Gards, and because of my concern for the integrity of the examination system, I instructed that replacement papers in German and English should be provided for the Leaving Certificate examination. I should emphasise that the papers in question are replacement papers, not alternative papers, and that the examination time-table was not affected in any way.
The son of the person referred to was unable to sit the examination in two subjects in the Leaving Certificate in 1993 through illness.
While special arrangements are made to facilitate candidates with disabilities and candidates in hospital through illness, these arrangements all involve sitting the examination on the scheduled day. It is not feasible to hold alternative examination sessions for individual students who are taken ill. This had been explained to the person concerned.
