Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020
276. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has engaged with universities on extending flexibility for mature students accessing third level in view of the uncertainty caused by the calculated grades system. [12610/20]
View answerMature students seeking to enter third level education apply are applying on a different basis than those who apply on the basis of their Leaving Certificate results. Therefore mature students are unlikely to be impacted by the implementation of calculated grades.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, higher education institutions are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions procedures.
As such, neither I nor my Department has any role in relation to admissions procedures for mature students and queries on these processes should be directed to the HEIs.
