I assure the Deputy that the majority of the 21,000 examination candidates concerned in this year's practical tests in the junior certificate home economics will be examined by the end of this week as planned. Plans are being made in relation to the assessment immediately thereafter of the small number of candidates who remain to be assessed. In that regard my Department is waiting for detailed reports by examiners on the completion of their itineraries.
I advise candidates who may have become concerned to ignore the misleading public comments of the Fine Gael spokesman on education and I assure them that their assessment needs in respect of home economics are being met.