P. J. Sheehan
Ceist:394 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Education whether students who are medical card holders are exempt from payment of leaving certificate examination fees.
Vol. 434 No. 2
394 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Education whether students who are medical card holders are exempt from payment of leaving certificate examination fees.
The ordinary fees payable by school candidates for entry to the 1994 Certificate Examinations are as folllows: Leaving Certificate, £44; Junior Certificate, £41.
My Department implements 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 £374,000 has been allocated to recognised schools and vocational education committees in respect of the 1994 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" fee payable by candidates who are attending school with a view to repeating the Leaving Certificate is £120.
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, £44, by first-time candidates applies.
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 at the discretion of the school authority under the scheme already described above.