Wednesday, 7 Oct 2020

Written Answers Nos. 99-118

Diaspora Issues

Questions (99, 100, 101)

Pa Daly

Question:

99. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of the interdepartmental committee on the Irish abroad. [29047/20]

Pa Daly

Question:

100. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of the reports on support for the Irish abroad for 2019 and 2020. [29048/20]

Pa Daly

Question:

101. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the establishment of an Oireachtas subcommittee dealing with issues affecting the Irish diaspora. [29049/20]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 to 101, inclusive, together.

I will shortly hold a meeting of the Interdepartmental Committee on the Irish Abroad. This meeting will focus on a range of issues, including the support provided through the Government's Covid-19 Relief Fund; assistance to returning emigrants and those repatriated during the Covid crisis; and the implementation of the Government's Diaspora Strategy, which will be published in the coming weeks.

The report detailing expenditure under the Emigrant Support Programme covering the 2019-2020 grant year is currently being finalised and will be available on website of the Department. The 2020 report, covering the period July 2020 to June 2021, will be available in the second half of next year.

The establishment of a sub-committee is a matter, in the first instance, for the Oireachtas itself and for the relevant Committee to decide.

Brexit Preparations

Questions (102)

Richard Bruton

Question:

102. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the schedule for decision making on Brexit over the coming weeks. [29185/20]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

We are at an important point for work across all Brexit work-streams. The ninth round of EU-UK negotiations concluded on 2 October. While a degree of progress was made, much work remains to resolve key issues including a Level Playing Field for open and fair competition, fisheries, and governance.

There was a brief update discussion on Brexit at the European Council on 2 October. The state of play in negotiations will be considered at the General Affairs Council on 13 October, and then by the EU's leaders at the European Council of 15-16 October.

Following the most recent negotiating round, President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Johnson spoke on 3 October, when they instructed the EU and UK Chief Negotiators to work intensively to bridge the gaps in those areas where the parties are furthest apart. We expect that the Chief Negotiators will continue these efforts in the days and weeks ahead. Michel Barnier has our full support in this work. The Brexit transition period ends on 31 December but any new agreement will need to be reached in sufficient time to ensure that the ratification processes can be completed before that date.

Work on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement is also continuing through the appropriate channels. The Specialised Committee on Citizens Rights will meet later this week. We also expect the Specialised Committee on Implementation of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland to meet at the end of this week. Ireland will participate as part of the EU delegation at both these meetings.

Ireland will work closely with our EU partners as we continue to chart a united path through the next crucial few weeks. Meanwhile, at home, we continue our intensive domestic preparations to ensure that Ireland is ready for the end of the transition period.

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Questions (103)

Michael Creed

Question:

103. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way in which a person can register their interest in hosting and fostering unaccompanied minors arising from the destruction of the Moira refugee camp. [29200/20]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

This Department does not have responsibility for the process of hosting and fostering unaccompanied minors and cannot therefore provide this information. I suggest the Deputy redirect this question to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

Human Rights

Questions (104)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

104. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the plight of the Uighur population in China particularly those in the north-west Xinjiang province; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29207/20]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I refer the Deputy to my replies on this topic yesterday and previously. Ireland, along with our EU partners, remains deeply concerned about the credible reports regarding the treatment of ethnic Uighurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, including reports on restrictions on freedom of religion and belief, arbitrary detention, widespread surveillance, forced labour, and forced sterilisations and birth control in the region.

Ireland has been vocal about raising this issue, along with other partners in the international community. This week, Ireland is supporting a Joint Statement at the UN Third Committee which reiterates our grave concern regarding the situation in Xinjiang, and recalls the exceptional letter of concern issued by 50 UN Special Procedures mandate holders which called on China to respect human rights and to allow immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent observers.

In our national statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 25 September, Ireland also urged China to allow unrestricted access to the region for the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

At EU level, the deterioration of the human rights situation, including the treatment of minorities in Xinjiang, was raised by EU leaders with China on 14 September, and it was agreed to discuss these issues further at an EU-China Human Rights Dialogue later this year. The matter was also raised during the EU-China Summit on the 22 June.

Prior to this, Ireland was also one of 28 States to support a Joint Statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 30 June 2020, which also called on the High Commissioner to provide regular information about the situation in the region, in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms that are guaranteed under international law.

Ireland has previously supported a Joint Statement at the UN Third Committee in October 2019, and a Joint Letter at the UN Human Rights Council in July 2019, which called for the Chinese Government to urgently implement eight recommendations made by the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination related to Xinjiang, and to uphold its international obligations and respect human rights in Xinjiang.

The protection and promotion of human rights is a core pillar of Ireland's foreign policy, and Ireland will continue to monitor and assess the situation and, along with our EU partners, engage with Chinese authorities bilaterally and in multilateral fora as appropriate.

Defence Forces Equipment

Questions (105)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

105. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Defence the details of guidelines or policies governing the use of automated weapons systems and robotics by the Defence Forces; and if no such guidelines or policies exist, the reason therefore. [29002/20]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

The Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so.

The Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams operate an explosive ordnance disposal robotic platform whilst performing Aid To Civil Power tasks to render harmless Improvised Explosive Devices or other suspect packages. These robots are security sensitive equipment and are deployed by the Ordnance Corps of the Defence Forces both at home and on overseas operations. They are vital tools in the identification and destruction of improvised explosive devices in a manner that is both effective and safe to the operators and the public.

The robot is a self-propelled mobile platform hosting an array of electro-mechanical tools to enable the operator examine the device and render same harmless by way of controlled detonations of varying magnitude. Although some of the functions can be automated and preprogrammed the robot remains at all times under the direct and complete control of the EOD operator. The use of the robot enables this important task to be conducted remotely thereby considerably reducing the risks to the EOD team and the public.

I am assured by the Military Authorities that the deployment and operational use of this platform is governed by strict operational rules and protocols, details of these are security sensitive.

Defence Forces Personnel

Questions (106)

Denis Naughten

Question:

106. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Defence the number of personnel who have been court-martialed for sexual offences in the past ten years; the number who have been convicted; the number placed on the sex offenders register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29122/20]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

I have been informed by the Military Authorities that, in the past 10 years, two members of the Defence Forces were court-martialed for sexual offences. In both cases, the charges were proven. Both individuals were discharged from the Defence Forces.

Section 3 (2) of the Sex Offenders Act, 2001 provides that an offence referred to in paragraph 2 of the schedule to the Act (sexual assault or indecent assault) shall not be a sexual offence for the purposes of the Act if the victim of, or, as the case may be, the other party to the offence was aged 17 years or more at the date of the offence's commission, and the person guilty of the offence has not, in respect of the offence, been sentenced to any punishment involving deprivation of liberty for a limited or unlimited period of time or been made subject to any measure involving such deprivation of liberty.

I have been informed that as a consequence of the provisions outlined at para 4 above and pursuant to section 7(1), neither individual was subject to the requirements of the Act and therefore were not placed on the sexual offenders register.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (107)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

107. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education the status of the provision of a new school building for a school (details supplied); and the estimated start and completion date. [28970/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

My Department is in the process of finalising the project brief for the school referred to by the Deputy and expects to be in a position to make further contact with the Patron in this regard shortly.

School Transport

Questions (108)

Richard O'Donoghue

Question:

108. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if a review of the school transport structure for Covid-19 has been established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28949/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

In the 2019/2020 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.

School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year commenced operation on the 26th August 2020. All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time have been accommodated on transport services for the 2020/2021 school year where such services are in operation.

The Department has been engaging intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year. The Department has also been engaging with Bus Éireann on the logistics involved with the rolling implementation of measures on post-primary services as required to provide physical distancing, in line with those required on public transport, aligned to the public health advice received from NPHET shortly before schools reopened which advised that the post-primary scheme should run at 50% capacity. The implementation of 50% capacity has been put in place where possible over the last number of weeks, while Bus Éireann has been carrying out a detailed analysis of the resources required to fully implement the advice on all routes.

Bus Éireann and the Department have supported all bus contractors to put in place measures to support infection prevention and control on the buses. The Department has also issued detailed information and guidance to parents and children on the operation of school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year. Measures include all post-primary students wearing masks, all bus drivers and bus escorts receiving PPE where necessary, as well as funding to support additional cleaning and hygiene measures, including the provision of sanitiser on all buses. Seating plans with preassigned seating are in place on all routes, with children sitting next to their siblings or classmates where possible. This reduces the interaction of children on the buses with those outside of their family, class or school.

I am pleased to announce that, following a Government Decision on the 29th of September, Government has agreed to provide the necessary funding to ensure full implementation of the measures required for the operation of school transport for post-primary children that is aligned to updated health advice received from NPHET on the 18th of August, for which the estimated full year cost to operate all services at 50% capacity is between €87m and €135m with an estimated requirement for an additional 1,600 drivers and vehicles and 650 additional School Bus Escorts.

Further detailed planning is being done through the local offices on a route by route basis to plan appropriate measures to provide the additional capacity required. As the additional capacity is rolled out, where spare capacity is created, further tickets will be allocated to those children eligible for the scheme who have paid late and for other applicants seeking concessionary tickets.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (109)

Richard O'Donoghue

Question:

109. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education the efforts she has made in respect of school premises being inspected to ensure Covid-19 health and safety requirements are met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28950/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

My Department has agreed a Memo of Understanding with the Health and Safety Authority that reflects our shared objective of ensuring that the Return to Work Safety Protocol for addressing COVID-19 in the workplace is being implemented.

In relation to school inspections, my Department’s Inspectorate will lead on visits to schools for the purposes of working with and advising schools in implementing the Return to Work Safety Protocol for addressing COVID-19 in the workplace and public health advice. The objective of the Inspectors visits in this context are to provide ongoing and continuous support to schools to sustain reopening in a Covid-19 context.

My Department has also published a suite of helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable reopening of schools. Each school is required to have a COVID-19 Response Plan for the safe operation through the prevention, early detection and control of COVID-19 in line with public health advice. This guidance is focused on the practical steps schools must take to minimise the risk of transmission of infection.

Gender Balance

Questions (110)

Emer Higgins

Question:

110. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the number of female head teachers; the number of female teachers who applied for the position of head teacher in 2019; the number of male head teachers in all girls secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28956/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

`The information available from my Departments' database indicates that there were 231 female principals employed in voluntary secondary and Community/ Comprehensive schools in the 2018/19 school year. There were 2,165 female principals employed in primary schools. The information in relation to the number of female principal teachers employed in ETBs would have to be obtained from each ETB.

The other information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department.

State Examinations

Questions (111, 112)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

111. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if the junior certificate core subjects of Irish, English and maths were given equally weighting during the process of calculating the estimated grades for the leaving certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28959/20]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

112. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if the specific percentage result or overall grade of students were used from their junior certificate to calculate their leaving certificate 2020 results with regards to the leaving certificate 2020 and the calculated grades process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28960/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 112 together.

The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations.

The design of the Calculated Grades model was informed by advice from a Technical Working Group comprising experts drawn from the State Examinations Commission, the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills, the Educational Research Centre and international external expertise.

Schools provided an estimated percentage mark and a rank order for each student’s subjects. The process of national standardisation was applied to the school information in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard. We know from research that teachers are very good at making judgements about their students in the local context of the school. Schools approached this task in a very professional manner, in line with detailed guidelines about the process, but inevitably some schools were overly harsh in their estimations while others were overly generous. This is to be expected given that there is no national standard on which to base an estimated mark. But in order to be fair to the class of 2020, the teacher judgements made at the level of the school had to be adjusted so that a common national standard was applied. It was inherent to the system of calculated grades that school estimates would be subject to adjustment through this standardisation process.

These adjustments resulted in the school estimates staying the same or being revised upwards or downwards. The standardisation process operated on the premise that the school estimates should only be adjusted through the standardisation process where there was credible statistical evidence to justify changing them.

A standardising process happens every year and would have happened in 2020 had the Leaving Certificate examinations been run as normal. In the system of calculated grades, the standardisation process applied uniformly across all subject and levels and school types. The degree to which mark changes occurred related to the degree of over or underestimation in the school estimates for each subject and each level. This means that some students experienced mark changes from the school estimates but no changes to the grades based on the school estimates; while others will have experienced marks changes from the teacher estimates leading to grade changes in one or more of their subjects.

Following standardisation, the estimated percentage mark was converted to a calculated mark and subsequently, a calculated grade, which was provided to students on 7 September. It is only at this point that students were awarded a grade.

The use which has been made of Junior Cycle data in the model is set out in detail in the Report of the National Standardisation Group. Individual Junior Cycle results were not used to determine any individual’s Calculated Grades. Rather, the Calculated Grades process took account of the overall Junior Cycle performance of the Leaving Certificate class of 2020 in each school and used this data to help in predicting the likely range of Leaving Certificate performance of that group using related information about the relationship between performance at Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate based on national data over time for that subject at that level.

On 30 September, I announced that two errors had been found in the Leaving Certificate 2020 Calculated Grades process. These errors related to the way in which the coding for the process utilised Junior Cycle data.

On 03 October, following a further review of the coding by an independent third party, I announced that a further error had been identified.

These three errors were rectified, and following this, a total of 6,100 students have received higher grades. These students were able to access their improved results 03 October.

Technical details of the Calculated Grades model and standardisation process were published on the date of issue of the results, 7 September, and are available here:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2ed9b-leaving-certificate-2020-calculated-grades-technical-reports/ .

State Examinations

Questions (113)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

113. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education when students will be notified if they are impacted by the two errors in the algorithm; and if students can now appeal same and request to see the way in which their grade was calculated. [28961/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a result of COVID-19, which prevented the State from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. The purpose of this process was to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education.

On 30 September, I made a statement that advising that two errors had been identified in the Calculated Grades process. These meant that incorrect grades were issued to some students when they received their results on 7 September.

All Leaving Certificate 2020 students received a text message on 30 September advising them to check www.gov.ie/leavingcert for information regarding the announcement that was made that day.

On discovering the errors, my Department engaged a specialist third party, Educational Testing Service (ETS), to review the coding

On 03 October, I announced that the independent review had been completed by US-based company Educational Testing Services (ETS). All students received another text message. This message advised them either:

that they were receiving at least one higher grade and needed to check the portal to view their results or,

that they were not impacted and their grades were unaffected.

All students who were receiving a higher grade also received an email advising them to log onto the Calculated Grades Student Portal to access their amended results.

Students who are impacted were able to log on to the Calculated Grades Student Portal from 6.00pm on 03 October to view their improved grades and print a new statement of provisional results which will replace their first statement.

Students whose grades were not affected would see no change to their Calculated Grades if they log onto the Calculated Grades Student Portal. These students may, however, have seen that they achieved a higher calculated mark in a particular subject(s), but that this increase did not result in an increased grade.

The appeals process will continue as normal following the announcements on 30 September and 03 October regarding errors found in the Calculated Grades model. This applies whether or not a student received an improved grade following the rectification of the errors. This is because the appeals process is a technical appeal, focussed on looking for errors in the transmission and processing of student data through the process.

The appeals process is a process review focussed on looking for errors in the transmission and processing of student data through the process. It is not possible to appeal the information (estimated percentage mark or rank order) provided by the school. Due to the nature of the Calculated Grades system the professional judgement of the school is outside of the appeals process. It should further be noted that the design of the statistical model and the application of the national standardisation process is also outside of the scope of the appeals process.

At the time of closing the appeal application process on Wednesday 16 September, some 12,300 students had appealed almost 33,700 grades.

Every effort will be made to process appeals as quickly as possible but it is not possible at this time to commit to a date for the issue of the appeal results. Students will be notified of this date as soon as possible.

State Examinations

Questions (114)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

114. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education when students will be made aware of the results of the appeals process regarding any potential administrative errors and what impact this will have on the review happening with the errors in the algorithm (details supplied). [28962/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The Calculated Grades Student Portal reopened on 14 September to allow students to view their estimated percentage marks and calculated marks to allow students to consider this data if they were considering an appeal of their Calculated Grade.

The appeals process is a process review focussed on looking for errors in the transmission and processing of student data through the process. It is not possible to appeal the information (estimated percentage mark or rank order) provided by the school. Due to the nature of the Calculated Grades system the professional judgement of the school is outside of the appeals process. It should further be noted that the design of the statistical model and the application of the national standardisation process is also outside of the scope of the appeals process.

At the time of closing the appeal application process on Wednesday 16 September, some 12,300 students had appealed almost 33,700 grades.

The appeals process will continue as normal following the announcements on 30 September and 03 October regarding errors found in the Calculated Grades model. This applies whether or not a student received an improved grade following the rectification of the errors. This is because the appeals process is a technical appeal, focussed on looking for errors in the transmission and processing of student data through the process.

Every effort will be made to process appeals as quickly as possible but it is not possible at this time to commit to a date for the issue of the appeal results. Students will be notified of this date as soon as possible.

It is not possible to provide an expedited appeal for any student or group of students. All appeals will be processed and results released simultaneously to ensure fairness and equity to all.

The CAO will be automatically notified by the Department of the outcomes of the appeals process.

If, as a result of an upgrade, a student becomes eligible for a college place at a higher CAO preference than the one they were already offered, they will be eligible for that course.

It is not possible to guarantee at this stage that, following a successful appeal, a student will be able to take up such a place offered in the academic year 20/21. This depends on factors such as the number of appeals received, the nature of the appeal, and the higher education course being applied for. However, where possible, higher education institutions will attempt to facilitate students who are upgraded and receive a new offer.

State Examinations

Questions (115)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

115. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education her plans to undertake a full review of the entire calculated grades process and publish the results. [28963/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a result of COVID-19, which prevented the State from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. The purpose of this process was to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education.

On 30 September, I made a statement advising that two errors had been identified in the Calculated Grades process. These meant that incorrect grades were issued to some students when they received their results on 7 September.

The first error, in one out of 50,000 lines of code, was in relation to the processing of Junior Cycle data. The system was meant to draw on the core Junior Cycle subjects of English, Irish and Maths, and combine them with the students’ 2 best non-core subjects for all of the students in each class in each school. The coding error instead combined the core subjects with the students’ 2 weakest non-core subjects.

The error meant that, in some subjects, some students received Calculated Grades that were lower than they should have been, while some students received grades that were higher than they should have been.

In the course of a review which the Department then undertook, Departmental staff found a further error in the section of the code dealing with Junior Cycle results. The Junior Cycle subject Civil, Social and Political Education (CPSE) was meant to be disregarded as part of the model but was not. This second error, however, had a negligible impact on results.

I provided a further update on 03 October, announcing that improved Calculated Grades would issue to impacted students that day. This announcement was made following a review of essential aspects of the coding by Educational Testing Services, ETS, a non-profit organisation based in the United States.

ETS completed their review and provided it to my Department on 3 October. The review identified one further error, relating to how the code handled cases where students did not sit all three core subjects (Irish, English and Maths) at Junior Cycle level.

As a result of rectification of the three errors, a total of 6,100 students have received higher grades. This breaks down as follows:

5,408 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in one subject,

621 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in two subjects,

71 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in three or more subjects.

In addition to the students who received a lower grade than they should have in this year’s Leaving Certificate, some students received a higher grade than they should have. However, these students grades are not being amended and the students will not be affected.

ETS also identified an issue concerning how the algorithm used in the standardisation process treated students’ marks at the extreme ends of the marks scale (99% and over, 1% and below). However, ETS also stated that this had no material impact on the results and no student could receive a lower grade as a result of it.

Following correction of the errors the Department sent a corrected file of student results to the CAO. The CAO have identified that a little under 450 of the 6,100 students will be eligible to receive a new CAO offer. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will work with the CAO and the higher education institutions to see how these students can be facilitated to commence the course that they would, in other circumstances, have been offered in an earlier round. Any student who would have been entitled to a different offer in previous CAO rounds if they received the correct grade on 7 September will receive this offer or a deferred offer as part of the CAO Round 4 offers which are being released on 8 October 2020.

A copy of the report submitted by ETS is available on www.gov.ie/leavngcert .

On 03 October I also stated that I have asked that an independent comprehensive review of the operation of the Calculated Grades process take place when the process is complete. This review will include independent international expertise.

State Examinations

Questions (116, 117)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

116. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the details of the tendering process that resulted in Educational Testing Service getting the contract for the review of essential aspects of the coding used to implement the leaving certificate standardisation process; the value of the contract awarded to same; the number of companies applied for the tender; the way the tender was advertised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28971/20]

Catherine Connolly

Question:

117. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the details of the tendering process for the contract, which was awarded to a company (details supplied) for the leaving certificate standardisation process in 2020; the number of companies applied for the tender; the details of the companies which applied for the tender; the reason given for the decision to give the contract to that company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28972/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 117 together.

The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations.

As part of initial contingency planning for the Leaving Certificate 2020, the State Examinations Commission procured international expertise through Polymetrika International Inc.

Polymetrika was contracted to provide statistical and psychometric expertise, initially on the basis of contingency planning in the event of the Leaving Certificate not taking place as planned.

The value of that contract was €71,500 to cover 65 days. Any additional days are to be charged at €1,100 per day.

Polymetrika played an integral part of the development and running of the Calculated Grades model, and as such the contract for Polymetrika was extended to implement the Calculated Grades model under the pre-agreed terms of the contract. This was done following the decision of Government on 8 May 2020 to postpone the Leaving Certificate Examinations.

Due to the time constraints the Department availed of the procurement process known as the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication. This is used in circumstances where it is a case of extreme urgency.

To date, the total gross cost of services provided by Polymetrika under contract has been approximately €193,000 which reflects services provided to end September.

This expenditure reflects their work in both the contingency planning and the development and statistical work around the operation of the model.

As was announced on 30 September, the Department has also engaged the services of ETS, Educational Testing Service, a US-based non-profit organisation which specialises in educational measurement, to review essential aspects of the coding. ETS submitted their report of the review to the Department on 03 October.

The cost of services provided by ETS has not yet been finalised.

State Examinations

Questions (118)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

118. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the number of persons who have applied to sit the leaving certificate examinations in November 2020; the details of the closing date for applications for the November 2020 sitting; if, based on the current restriction levels nationally, if she will state the likelihood of holding the exams in November 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28973/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The deadline for registration for the postponed Leaving Certificate 2020 examinations is 5.00pm on Wednesday 07 October.

The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.

In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.