Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Feb 1991

Vol. 404 No. 9

Written Answers. - Examination Fees.

Eric J. Byrne

Ceist:

22 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the current level of exam fees for students undertaking (a) the intermediate certificate and (b) the leaving certificate; the steps she intends to take to reduce these fees in view of the hardship involved for many families; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Seán Barrett

Ceist:

25 Mr. S. Barrett asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the hardship being caused to many families as a result of the increase in exam fees at second level; the plans she has to deal with the problem; if she will initiate a scheme to assist hardship cases and indicate the moneys allocated to individual schools to deal with such cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

199 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education the examination fees payable in respect of the leaving certificate and the intermediate certificate; whether these are payable in respect of children whose parents are medical card holders; if not, whether she will provide for exemption from such fees; and the cost of same.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 25 and 199 together.

The ordinary fees payable by school candidates for entry to the 1991 certificate examination are as follows: leaving certificate. £37.50; intermediate certificate £34; and day-vocational (group) certificate £22.

My Department implement a scheme to provide alleviation of fees in the case of any pupil attending school who is experiencing particular hardship. For this purpose a total of more than £340,000 has been allocated to recognised schools and vocational education committees in respect of the 1991 examinations. The amount of the reduction in the case of any individual pupil concerned under this scheme is determined at the discretion of the school authorities subject to the total amount of such deductions not exceeding the specified amount already notified to each school.

The "repeat" fees payable by candidates who are attending school with a view to repeating the leaving certificate examination are as follows: £37.50 for one subject; £75 for two subjects; and £100 for three or more subjects. Where, however, the parent or guardian of a school candidate repeating the examination is the holder of a current medical card only the ordinary fee payable by first time candidates applies.

The ordinary fees payable by external, i.e. non-school, candidates for entry to the leaving certificate examination are as follows: £41 for one subject; £80 for two subjects; and £115 for three or more subjects.

The following reduced fees apply where an external candidate — has not sat the examination previously, or has taken only one or two subjects previously, or 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: £14 for one subject; £26 for two subjects; and £37.50 for three or more subjects.

With regard to the overall cost of the reliefs which I have outlined in regard to medical card holders the position is that, for each candidate, the amount of relief is related to the number of subjects taken. It is estimated that the total relief afforded in 1990 to "repeat" candidates and external candidates, arising from the measures which I have outlined, was about £160,000.

I should add that a candidate attending school with a view to repeating the leaving certificate and who was already due to pay a reduced fee arising from possession of a medical card, could have the fee further reduced under this scheme at the discretion of the school authority.

The total cost of the certificate examinations is about £12 million per year. In 1990 the total amount collected in entry fees was approximately £5 million.