Vol. 531 No. 3
448 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has to abolish the fees charged to second level students for sitting the leaving certificate and for the correction of examinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5903/01]
The position is that examination entry fees exist to help defray the costs of running the certificate examinations. The examinations cost in the region of £20 million to run each year while total fees collected amount to about £5 million.
For examinations to be held in the year 2001, students who are covered by the medical services card scheme either directly or as the dependants of medical card holders are not liable to pay examination fees.
My priority is to target those most in need of assistance and the available funding is concentrated on the removal of fees for those covered by the medical card scheme, who are generally recognised as the most disadvantaged in society.
In future years, and as resources permit, it may be possible to extend the exemption further.
