Tuesday, 15 Jun 2021

Education Costs

Ceisteanna (752, 761, 763)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

752. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the average cost per additional classroom provided at primary and post-primary level. [31144/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

761. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of schools nationally that do not have a canteen. [31153/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

763. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the average cost of building a canteen for a school. [31155/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 752, 761 and 763 together.

My Department has in place detailed design guidelines for primary and post-primary schools. These guidelines, which are available on my Department's web-site, currently provide for a standard range of servery and eating facilities in the design of new and refurbished primary and post primary schools. In primary schools, a servery of 8.0m² in area is provided. At post primary level a kitchenette, 25m² in area, is provided off the General Purpose/Dining Area. These facilities are not intended to be full commercial type kitchens where food is prepared or cooked. As these facilities are provided as part of the overall accommodation for new schools and refurbished primary and post primary schools, costs are not readily available. However, the Department publishes a Basic Building Cost limit which sets a guide for construction costs: (https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0027_2021.pdf).

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not hold details of schools with kitchen/canteen facilities or those without such facilities.

The actual cost of constructing a classroom for primary or post primary school can vary depending on a number of factors which can include, but not limited to the size and scope of the construction contract the classrooms are being constructed under, market conditions, site constraints, planning conditions, procurement method, etc. The Department's published Basic Building Costs limits apply.

Based on this rate, it is expected that the construction cost of a typical primary school classroom would be in the region €258,000.00 and €211,000.00 for a post primary classroom.

Education Costs

Ceisteanna (753)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

753. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the annual capitation amounts to primary and post-primary schools since 2008. [31145/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

Details of annual expenditure by my Department on capitation related grants for Primary and Post-Primary schools in the years 2009 to 2020 are provided in the table below.

Capitation Amounts

Question No. 754 answered with Question No. 707.

Education Costs

Ceisteanna (755)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

755. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of increasing funding for book rental schemes both in primary and secondary schools by 5%, 10%, 20% and 25%, respectively. [31147/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.1 million in 2020 to all of these schools.

School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents and in order to support the establishment of book rental schemes my Department provided €15.7 million seed capital in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to primary schools. Circa. 96% of primary schools and 68% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme

Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102 Primary DEIS schools for a new pilot programme for the 2020/21 school year. The aim of this pilot is to provide free school books for students in the schools involved, and to support these schools in eliminating the cost of school books for parents. It will run for the period of one year and its effectiveness and impact will be monitored and evaluated before any decision is made as regards its possible extension or continuation. Under Circular 46/2013, DEIS schools receive a book grant of €21 per student. This pilot provided an additional €64 per student to increase the overall book grant rate to €85 per student enrolled in the school. This additional funding issued to schools in May 2020.

It is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school to decide on its own policy in relation to the use of book grant funding in the school but they are expected to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books for use in their classes. The current arrangement relies on the local knowledge of the school in order to ensure a fair allocation of funds to those most in need. Therefore, my Department does not hold information in relation to these costs.

Indicative estimate of providing free primary and secondary school books to all pupils across all fully publicly funded schools based on a survey by Barnardos is €40m.

Each 1% increase in the book grant for primary and post-primary schools would cost approximately €173,000. The table below sets out the estimated cost of increasing the book grant by 5%, 10%, 20% and 25%.

% increase	Cost of increase
5%	€0.9
10%	€1.7
20%	€3.4
25%	€4.3

Education Costs

Ceisteanna (756)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

756. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of ensuring the running of a school book scheme that is entirely free to parents. [31148/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.1 million in 2020 to all of these schools.

School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents and in order to support the establishment of book rental schemes my Department provided €15.7 million seed capital in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to primary schools. Circa. 96% of primary schools and 68% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme

Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102 Primary DEIS schools for a new pilot programme for the 2020/21 school year. The aim of this pilot is to provide free school books for students in the schools involved, and to support these schools in eliminating the cost of school books for parents. It will run for the period of one year and its effectiveness and impact will be monitored and evaluated before any decision is made as regards its possible extension or continuation. Under Circular 46/2013, DEIS schools receive a book grant of €21 per student. This pilot provided an additional €64 per student to increase the overall book grant rate to €85 per student enrolled in the school. This additional funding issued to schools in May 2020.

It is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school to decide on its own policy in relation to the use of book grant funding in the school but they are expected to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books for use in their classes. The current arrangement relies on the local knowledge of the school in order to ensure a fair allocation of funds to those most in need. Therefore, my Department does not hold information in relation to these costs.

Indicative estimate of providing free primary and secondary school books to all pupils across all fully publicly funded schools based on a survey by Barnardos is €40m.

Education Costs

Ceisteanna (757)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

757. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of developing a seed capital scheme for expanding the school book scheme into new schools. [31149/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.1 million in 2020 to all of these schools.

School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents and in order to support the establishment of book rental schemes my Department provided €15.7 million seed capital in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to primary schools. Circa. 96% of primary schools and 68% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme

It is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school to decide on its own policy in relation to the use of book grant funding in the school but they are expected to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books for use in their classes. The current arrangement relies on the local knowledge of the school in order to ensure a fair allocation of funds to those most in need. Therefore, my Department does not hold information in relation to these costs.

Indicative estimate of providing free primary and secondary school books to all pupils across all fully publicly funded schools based on a survey by Barnardos is €40m.

Education Costs

Ceisteanna (758)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

758. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of providing free school transport to each child availing of the school transport scheme in 2021. [31150/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

In 2020, receipts from school transport charges amounted to approximately €12m (net of refunds issued during the 2019/20 schoo year). If school transport fees were to be abolished the cost of providing free transport to each child availing of school transport in the 2019/20 school year would be approximately an additional cost of €12m on the total cost of transport for the year.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Ceisteanna (759)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

759. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of reducing the pupil-teacher ratio in DEIS schools by one point; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31151/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

In the 2020/21 school year there are 3,108 mainstream primary schools of which 689 are participating in the DEIS Programme.

Each 1 point adjustment to the overall primary staffing schedule is estimated to cost in the region of €4.8m in the first year and €14.5m for the full year.

Under Budget 2021 I announced a general reduction in the mainstream staffing schedule to 25:1. On the 1st March 2021, I announced a package of measures to tackle educational disadvantage. This announcement provided for a one point improvement to the staffing schedule for all Urban Band 1 schools. This included a reduction in the staffing schedule from 22:1 to 21:1 for Urban Band 1 vertical schools and 20:1 to 19:1 for Urban Band 1 junior schools, which was in addition to previously announced one-point reduction for Senior Urban Band 1 schools from 24:1 to 23:1.

DEIS remains this Department’s main policy to tackle educational disadvantage. My Department will spend over €150 million on the programme this year.

Education Costs

Ceisteanna (760)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

760. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost to designate an additional 10 schools as DEIS band 2; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31152/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. My Department will spend over €150million on supports for schools under the DEIS programme in 2021. This also includes in the region of €16 million which will be provided to schools in the form of a DEIS grant for the 2021/22 school year.

In the 2020/21 school year there are 887 schools in the DEIS Programme serving 185,000 pupils (689 primary and 198 post primary).

The full list of supports available to DEIS schools, including DEIS Band 2 schools, is available on my Department's website at the following link: https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Supporting-Information/Supports-to-DEIS-Schools.html

It is not possible to definitively provide the total cost of expanding the DEIS programme to include a further 10 DEIS Band 2 primary schools as the costs will vary from school to school depending on enrolment and the levels of disadvantage in individual schools.

Question No. 761 answered with Question No. 752.

School Facilities

Ceisteanna (762, 764, 765)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

762. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of schools participating in the school meals programme that do not have a canteen. [31154/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

764. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of DEIS schools that do not have a canteen. [31156/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

765. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of DEIS schools that do not have cooking facilities. [31157/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 762, 764 and 765 together.

DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. In the 2020/21 academic year there are 887 schools in the DEIS Programme serving over 185,000 pupils - 689 Primary and 198 Post Primary.

My Department's total spend on DEIS in 2021 is over €150 million, which includes over €26 million for the School Completion Programme.

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not hold details of schools with kitchens and/or canteens, or those without such facilities.

My Department has in place detailed design guidelines for primary and post-primary schools. These guidelines, which are available on my Department's web-site, currently provide for a standard range of servery and eating facilities in the design of new and refurbished schools. In Primary schools, a servery of 8.0m² in area is provided. At Post Primary level a kitchenette, 25m² in area, is provided off the General Purpose/Dining Area. These facilities are not intended to be full commercial type kitchens where food is prepared or cooked.

The School Meals Programme is under the remit of the Department of Social Protection. The Programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 children.

The provision of hot school meals in schools is not dependent on cooking facilities being available in the school. The scheme is aimed primarily at schools with no onsite cooking facilities. Each school must identify a supplier who will supply (prepare and deliver) the hot meals in line with the relevant food safety regulations and in compliance with the Healthy Ireland ‘Nutrition Standards for Hot School Meals’.

Question No. 763 answered with Question No. 752.

Question No. 764 answered with Question No. 762.

Question No. 765 answered with Question No. 762.

Special Educational Needs

Ceisteanna (766)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

766. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of additional special educational teachers that have been hired this academic year; and the number of additional special educational teachers that will be hired for the 2021-2022 academic year. [31158/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education

A total of 13,623 Special Education Teachers are currently allocated to provide additional teaching support to pupils who have additional learning needs, or special educational needs, and who attend mainstream primary or post primary school classes.

Of this total figure, an additional 95 posts of these post were allocated to schools over the course of the 2020/21 school year.

For the coming school year, in order to minimise disruption and upheaval for schools as much as possible in light of Covid-19, and to provide for continuity of allocations, the existing Special Education Teacher Allocations for schools will be maintained for the 2021/22 school year, with re-profiled allocations now due to be made from September 2022.

This means that schools will not have to engage in an extensive redeployment of posts, or re-clustering, this year.

It also means that schools will have greater levels of certainty as to the staff that they will have in place for September.

No school will see a cut, or reduction, to their special education teaching support next year.

Additional allocations will continue to be made for new schools, schools which achieve developing status, and for exceptional circumstances. Schools that qualify for additional mainstream developing school posts also qualify for additional special education teaching allocations to take account of this developing status.If a school considers that exceptional circumstances have arisen in their school, which means that they cannot provide for the special educational teaching needs of pupils due to very significant changes to the school profile occurring, a school may seek a review of their allocations by the NCSE.

As the number of schools which will qualify for developing school allocations, or new allocations as a result of exceptional needs reviews, is not yet known, it is not possible to advise at this point how many additional allocations will be made for schools over the course of the 2021/22 school year.

Special Educational Needs

Ceisteanna (767)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

767. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of additional special needs assistants who have been hired this academic year; and the number of additional special needs assistants who will be hired for the 2021-2022 academic year. [31159/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education

The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are at unprecedented levels.

My Department will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget on making additional provision for children with special educational needs in 2021. This represents an increase of over 50% in total expenditure since 2011, at which point €1.247 Billion per annum was provided.

Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional SNAs for allocation to schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by December 2021. This will represent an increase of increase of 70% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.

This allocation of SNAs is to meet the care needs of pupils in 2021 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools, support for children in mainstream classes for the 2021/22 school year. The majority of these posts will be allocated in September for the new school year. There have been 103 SNA posts allocated to date from Budget 2021 SNA allocation.

Special Educational Needs

Ceisteanna (768)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

768. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of additional special needs assistants who have been hired since budget day in October 2020. [31160/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education

The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are at unprecedented levels.

My Department will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget on making additional provision for children with special educational needs in 2021. This represents an increase of over 50% in total expenditure since 2011, at which point €1.247 Billion per annum was provided.

Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional SNAs for allocation to schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by December 2021. This will represent an increase of increase of 70% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.

This allocation of SNAs is to meet the care needs of pupils in 2021 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools, support for children in mainstream classes for the 2021/22 school year. The majority of these posts will be allocated in September for the new school year. There have been 103 SNA positions allocated to date from Budget 2021 SNA allocation.

Special Educational Needs

Ceisteanna (769)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

769. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education if all of the funding provided for in budget 2021 for the hiring of additional special needs assistants has been utilised since that announcement. [31161/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education

The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are at unprecedented levels.

My Department will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget on making additional provision for children with special educational needs in 2021. This represents an increase of over 50% in total expenditure since 2011, at which point €1.247 Billion per annum was provided.

Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional SNAs for allocation to schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by December 2021. This will represent an increase of increase of 70% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.

This allocation of SNAs is to meet the care needs of pupils in 2021 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools, support for children in mainstream classes for the 2021/22 school year. The majority of these posts will be allocated in September for the new school year. There have been 103 SNA positions allocated to date from Budget 2021 SNA allocation.

Special Educational Needs

Ceisteanna (770, 771, 772, 773)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

770. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of changing all teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with special classes to administrative status. [31162/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

771. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with one special class; and the number of teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with two or more special classes. [31163/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

772. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of changing all teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with two or more special classes to administrative status. [31164/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

773. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of changing teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with one special class to a job share leadership arrangement. [31165/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 770 to 773, inclusive, together.

The criteria for the appointment of an administrative principal to schools, which are enrolment based, are set out in Appendix B of the annual staffing circular.

Schools operating two Autism special classes have a reduced enrolment requirement for the appointment of an Administrative Principal.

Currently, 86 schools with teaching principals have one special class and 25 schools with teaching principals have two or more special classes. The provision of an additional teaching post to schools with one special class to allow for administrative status would cost approximately €4.17 million. The cost of providing administrative status to Teaching Principals with two or more special classes would cost in the region of €1.22 million, while allocating an Administrative Principal to every school with at least one special class would cost approximately €5.39 million.

Question No. 771 answered with Question No. 770.

Question No. 772 answered with Question No. 770.

Question No. 773 answered with Question No. 770.

School Accommodation

Ceisteanna (774)

Paul Kehoe

Ceist:

774. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education if she will provide information on the ownership of the former site of a school (details supplied) and whether she has information for plans for its future use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31195/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

I can confirm that the property in respecting of which the Deputy is making enquiries is not in my ownership, as Minister for Education.

My Department understands that neither is the property concerned registered with the Property Registration Authority. I would suggest that you make further enquiries with the patron of the school in question as they may be able to assist you with your enquiries.

State Examinations

Ceisteanna (775)

Chris Andrews

Ceist:

775. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Education if she will reconsider the decision to publish the leaving certificate results on 3 September 2021 and publish them in mid-August to allow students to avail of course offers from colleges particularly those who have chosen to study abroad who face missing out on their courses due to the late publication of their results; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31237/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

On 17 February, I confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 examinations would proceed, guided by public health advice, and that students will also have the alternative option of applying for grades accredited by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), to be known as SEC-Accredited Grades.

This decision was taken by government to ensure for every candidate in 2021, a method to assess their learning and attainment at the end of their post-primary education, and to progress to higher and further education, and the world of work.

Leaving Certificate results for 2021 are expected to issue directly to candidates through the Candidate Self Service Portal on Friday 3 September.

The written examinations began on 9 June and will run until 17 June in the case of Leaving Certificate Applied and 29 June in the case of Leaving Certificate (established).

Candidates have been provided with the choice of sitting the examinations, opting to receive Accredited Grades or both on a subject by subject basis. This dual process, believed to be unique in the world, was put in place following consultation with stakeholders in response to the disrupted learning experienced by the class of 2021 during the periods of school closures in 2020 and 2021.

In any subject where a candidate sits the examination and opts to receive an Accredited Grade, they will be credited with the better of the two results.

Putting in place both the examinations and a corresponding measure of SEC-Accredited Grades recognises the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic and the loss of learning that has occurred for this group of students due to the interruption of in-person teaching and learning during the periods of school closures.

Notwithstanding the huge effort and collaboration by teachers, school leaders and of course students, in relation to the examinations and Accredited Grades process over the last number of months, the timeframes for finalisation of results are particularly challenging this year. This is in part due to the fact that the SEC has to manage both the examinations and Accredited Grades processes in parallel.

The results issue date this year, 3 September, must take account of both the examinations marking process and the Accredited Grades process operating in parallel and being brought together at the end to issue to candidates. To ensure the accuracy and the integrity of the results being provided to candidates, sufficient time must be allowed not only in the parallel operation of both of these complex processes but also in the integration of the results to ensure that candidates are provided with a set of examinations results that comprises, based on their individual options on a subject by subject basis, examination results, Accredited Grades or the better of the two.

A range of checking and robust quality assurance procedures apply to the resulting and grading processes for the examination results and Accredited Grades focussed on maintaining data integrity and on identifying and reconciling candidate information.

Given the robust quality assurance checks associated with the resulting process and in the integration of both the Accredited Grades and written examinations, It is of vital importance that the processes are given sufficient time to execute to the highest standards.

Candidates’ results will be transferred to the CAO at the earliest opportunity to facilitate the generation of offers to CAO applicants. The CAO have announced that Round 1 offers will be made on 7 September.

For those Leaving Certificate candidates who have applied to pursue their higher education in UK Universities, the UCAS deadline for acceptance of conditional offers is 8 September 2021.

In 2020, along with the UK, countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland and Hungary showed flexibility in working with the Department to accommodate Irish students, when results issued on 7 September 2020.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has already been engaged with these countries, as has my own Department and both Departments will continue their work to ensure that the same flexibility will be extended to the 2021 Leaving Certificate candidates.

It is important that candidates who have applied for places in universities and colleges outside of Ireland should engage with the institutions to which they have applied as early as possible to notify them of the results date and to confirm their position.

State Examinations

Ceisteanna (776)

Claire Kerrane

Ceist:

776. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education her plans to ensure students with conditional university offers can receive their leaving certificate results before the outlined date of 3 September 2021 in recognition of different administrative timeframes of universities overseas and to ensure students can access their chosen university courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31250/21]