I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to provide an update on this important matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee. The State Examinations Commission has responsibility for the reasonable accommodations at certificate examinations, RACE, scheme. A central tenet of the RACE scheme is to ensure equitable treatment for all candidates. The range of accommodations provided within the scheme has been designed to ensure fairness for all when facilitating candidates in demonstrating their level of achievement. It is important to note that access to the scheme is needs based rather than based on a specific diagnosis. The review that the Deputy raises is being undertaken by the State Examinations Commission during a time of senior cycle redevelopment and in the context of the wider special educational needs policy landscape. It is a comprehensive and system-wide review of the scheme. The programme for Government commits to developing an appropriate mechanism to allow additional time for students with specific needs and in certain circumstances, and also to ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations. The review now under way by the State Examinations Commission will seek to take account of these and all relevant issues, and best practice internationally. The review is being directed by the board of commissioners of the State Examinations Commission and overseen by a steering group, with the terms of reference published on the State Examinations Commission website. The steering group is chaired by the CEO of the State Examinations Commission and is composed of external members drawn from government, academic and international organisations, and internal State Examinations Commission members of staff. The inclusion of internal State Examinations Commission members of staff as well as external members is designed to ensure that rolling changes can be implemented as the review progresses rather than awaiting a big bang approach at the end of the full review period. This will ensure any changes are implemented as early as possible in the interests of students. Already on a pilot basis for 2025 examinations, additional time for vision-impaired candidates who are under the care of the visiting teacher service is being increased from ten minutes per hour or part of an hour to 15 minutes for the junior cycle, leaving certificate applied and the leaving certificate examinations. This increases the additional time for these candidates to between 25% and 38% of the total examination duration. For example, in an examination of two and a half hours, additional time of 15 minutes per hour increases the total examination time now provided by 30%. The consultation to take place over the coming months will inform any appropriate changes to the shape of the scheme for the 2026 State exams and beyond, with the details of the scheme for 2026 to be communicated to schools before the end of this year in line with normal timelines. Given the wide range of difficulties for which accommodations are sought, it is intended to seek the views of users through extensive consultation and engagement so as to capture all perspectives and ensure all voices are heard equally. This will include young people with special educational needs, their families, and representative organisations, including Dyslexia Ireland, and is to take place over the coming months. The State Examinations Commission absolutely acknowledges that there is increasing complexity in the special educational landscape and, by extension, in the impact on candidates with special educational needs taking the certificate examinations. The extensive consultation and engagement to be undertaken as part of this comprehensive review will provide an opportunity for the views of those affected to be incorporated into the consideration.
Sentiment score: 0.38
As I mentioned, almost one in four candidates at the 2024 certificate examinations were provided with some form of reasonable accommodation within the RACE scheme to support them in accessing State examinations, underlining the importance of the scheme. Deputies may be aware that an extensive range of accommodations are currently available for candidates with dyslexia. These include an individual reader, a reading assistant, an exam reading pen, a word processor, a recording device, additional time for any candidate who is using a scribe to provide for a time overhead in dictating answers, and a waiver from spelling, grammar and punctuation. As the State Examinations Commission has affirmed, its review of the RACE scheme will seek to take account of all the relevant issues, including the question of additional time and best practice internationally. The State Examinations Commission's intention is to consult extensively with stakeholders, including representative organisations, as it progresses its review, which is of course crucial. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, welcomes its intention to progress any changes that may arise from the review on a rolling basis to avoid unnecessary delay in facilitating candidates to perform to the best of their ability in examinations. The Minister also welcomes the State Examinations Commission's commitment to addressing any issue and to improve the RACE scheme to best meet the needs of candidates with special educational needs now and into the future, while ensuring fairness for all candidates. The Deputy asked me to bring the points he raised back to the Minister. I undertake to do so. He will appreciate that I am not in a position to give any confirmation of what might happen in the examination process next year. It is not under my remit. Equally, I do not think the Minister, Deputy McEntee, would have been able to give a confirmation today when a review is under way, but I undertake to relay back to her the points the Deputy raised.
Sentiment score: 0.29
I thank the Deputy. This happened before I was born so my memory does not stretch that far back. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy O'Callaghan. I will respond to the issue raised by Deputy Ó Snodaigh on the Minister's behalf. Deputy Ó Snodaigh is aware that the issue concerns an investigation conducted almost 50 years ago, which resulted in the courts overturning the convictions of two people in 1980, a presidential pardon for a third person in 1992, and the payment of financial settlements. At the time, this case unquestionably cast a shadow on the trust we place in our criminal justice and policing systems to ensure justice is done. Miscarriages of justice serve absolutely no one. Those wrongly accused suffer greatly, as do victims and families who feel that they did not get justice. It is important to emphasise, however, that this case occurred several decades ago and I can say, without question, that the safeguards which were available at that time to those who were the subject of investigation were very different from those in place today. As the Deputy is aware, following the Ó Briain and Martin committees, the Criminal Justice Act 1984, which regulates the treatment of persons in custody, the Garda Síochána (Complaints) Act 1986, and the Criminal Procedure Act 1993 containing a new appeal procedure based on an alleged miscarriage of justice, were introduced. In this century, the State has continued to enact legislation to develop and update our oversight processes, most significantly through the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, commenced by the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, in April. Ireland has an exceptionally robust system of independent oversight of policing in place. Moreover, a human rights ethos is at the heart of the Garda code of ethics and in recent years a strong organisational focus has been put on embedding the principle that human rights are the foundation and purpose of policing into the everyday actions of members of An Garda Síochána. The Deputy will appreciate that the establishment of any public inquiry is something which can only be proceeded with where it is warranted. The primary concern is that the matter at issue must be considered of significant public concern in the sense that the concern to the public is live or there has been a recent significant development and an inquiry would assist in establishing the facts. Given all the developments that have taken place in the intervening years, including the adjudication by the courts and the granting of a presidential pardon, I am advised that the Minister is not aware of any matter of urgent public interest which would warrant reopening the matter. As the House is aware, the Minister is considering a petition received from a number of civil society organisations calling for a statutory inquiry into the Sallins case. I can offer assurances that the petition is receiving attention and the Minister expects to respond to the petitioners shortly.
Sentiment score: 0.31
Again, on behalf of the Minister for justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As outlined, the case in question has been the subject of court proceedings, pardons and associated compensation settlements. More generally, the rights of suspects and the policing oversight regime have been completely transformed. I referred to the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which provides a new governance and oversight regime for policing. A key part of the Act is the reformed and strengthened independent Office of the Police Ombudsman to investigate allegations of Garda wrongdoing. Another key part is the Policing and Community Safety Authority, which has significant powers of inspection and engagement and can engage with the Garda Commissioner and senior leadership team in public sessions. Our policing and criminal justice system has seen substantial and comprehensive change over the past 50 years. In order for a public inquiry and all that entails to be warranted, it must serve an urgent public interest. With all of the developments that have taken place, there is no obvious purpose that would be served. I assure Deputy Ó Snodaigh that the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, is examining the petition received from a number of civil society organisations seeking a statutory inquiry into the Sallins case and I am advised that the Minister intends to respond to the petitioners shortly. Deputy Ó Snodaigh alluded to the Minister having information for the past two years. As a matter of fact, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, has been in office for approximately five months. Any fair-minded person would say that in those five months he has been very much on the ground. I take on board that he states he intends to respond shortly and I take his word on this. I will relay back to the Minister the points Deputy Ó Snodaigh has raised.
Sentiment score: 0.25
I am quite happy to listen to Deputy Kelly and relay his concerns to the Minister tonight but the information I was given was that this Topical Issue was withdrawn and I do not have a brief from the Department. I am not a Minister of State at the Department so I may not have a suitable answer for Deputy Kelly tonight. If he wants to proceed and make his intervention, I am happy to listen to it and relay it back to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan. Another option is for Deputy Kelly to withdraw his matter and have it taken tomorrow. I am conscious he has waited until 12.05 a.m. and I am more than happy to sit here and take on board the points he makes this evening.
Sentiment score: 0.31
To be helpful, the matters for the morning will already have been selected and the relevant Deputies will be coming in for them. Perhaps I am speaking out of hand, but I do not think even Deputy Kelly will be ready to come in at 9 a.m. after staying here until 12.10 a.m. I will give a commitment. I accept that the error was probably made by the Department of Justice.
Sentiment score: 0.50
It was an error, and errors can happen. To be fair to Deputy Kelly, however, he has waited until 12.10 a.m. I do not have the information to hand to be able to give him the comprehensive answer that he deserves and that is warranted. I am sure the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, will facilitate the hearing of this matter on the earliest possible date that suits Deputy Kelly and the Minister or a Minister of State from his Department, with the agreement of the Ceann Comhairle. Between the three of us, I think we can get it sorted out quickly.
Sentiment score: 0.20