Vol. 462 No. 6
93 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Education the amount of examination fees paid in 1995 in respect of leaving certificate examinations and junior certificate examinations; and the percentage of students who are exempted from paying these fees in both the leaving certificate and the junior certificate examinations. [5258/96]
The total amount paid in examination entry fees for the 1995 leaving and junior certificate examinations was £5,783,544. My Department operates a number of measures in order to alleviate hardship arising from the payment of examination entry fees.
In the case of necessitous pupils who are attending school, the ordinary fee payable in respect of the junior or leaving certificate may be reduced at the discretion of the school principal and subject to a maximum notified to each school or vocational education committee by my Department. My Department made £400,000 available to schools and vocational education committees for this purpose in connection with the 1995 examinations.
In the case of the leaving certificate, a number of other measures are also in operation. A candidate who remains at school to repeat the leaving certificate would normally be charged a course fee of £100 and an exam entry fee, in 1995, of £120. Where, however, the parent or guardian of the candidate is the holder of a current medical card the course fee is waived and the examination entry fee is reduced to a maximum, in 1995, of £44, the ordinary leaving certificate fee payable by first-time candidates.
There is also provision for reduced fees in the case of external candidates for the leaving certificate examination. Reduced fees are payable where the candidate is attempting the examination for the first time or where the candidate is the holder of a current medical card or is dependent on a parent or guardian who is the holder of a current medical card.
