asked the Minister for Education in the light of all information now available, including recent evidence that many young people are precluded from places in English colleges because of the inordinate delay of issuing examination results, due to continued failure to provide the half a million pounds for the provision of computer facilities at the Central Examination Office in Athlone, County Westmeath, as this is a once-off cost for the Exchequer and in view of all these circumstances, if she will now have the necessary money allocated from the oversubscribed national lottery fund in time for the results of 1988.
Written Answers. - Examination Results.
101.
I am committed to computerising the activities of the examinations branch of my Department at the earliest opportunity. The funding of an operation of this kind was not intended to come within the objectives for which the national lottery was launched, which were mainly in the area of sport, youth, arts and culture. In the interim I am pressing ahead with the necessary preparation for computerisation so that when the funds required become available the way will be clear for the process of computerisation to be introduced quickly and without undue disruption.
I do not accept, however, that there has been inordinate delay in issuing the results of the leaving certificate examination, nor that many young people are thereby precluded from obtaining places in English colleges.