I am sharing time with Deputy Paul Murphy.

Sentiment score: 0.42

No, Deputy Murphy will go first.

Sentiment score: -0.30

Like Deputy Murphy and I am sure many others, we have seen numerous emails coming in from parents worried about how this is going to affect their children. In 2021, 1,300 students received a maximum of 625 CAO points, which I am sure everybody knows is an extremely difficult thing to do. That was more than double the number in 2020 and nearly six times the figures from 2019. Now we are in a situation where we have students who are achieving the top points. With the maximum points reached and only a certain number of course places, there is nowhere for them to go, so it ends up in a lottery. I am concerned about those students who are on the HEAR and DARE programmes. If grades are being inflated and these students are not reaching the level they could reach - not because of their ability, but due to the inflation - are they at a bit of a disadvantage? I am concerned as to how all of this has affected those students over the past number of years. When we are raising the bar so high, it is difficult for everybody to get there. For students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and those with educational needs, for example, dyslexia and dyscalculia, those programmes are vital to them reaching their points. Unfortunately, our education system only really allows for people to learn in a particular way when it comes to the leaving cert. Sometimes, those students who can learn in a particular way will do excellently and for others it does not really work for how their learning styles and knowledge base can be examined. We are getting numerous emails from parents regarding this issue and we are looking, like Deputy Murphy, for fair assessments, expanded college places and at ways of assessing our students in a more equitable way.

Sentiment score: 0.07

I thank the Minister of State for acknowledging the huge pressure students are under. Having worked in education for many years and having my own children go through the leaving certificate, it is a time of huge pressure not only for the student but also for everyone around him or her. It is quite a difficult situation. At what point will we be rid of this system? When will what was put in place during the pandemic period be over? I am a little concerned because in the previous proceedings, we talked about the need for broadening the base to recruit for special education schools, which are going to need more occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists. These are at the higher end of the points scale. When are we going to broaden it out for there to be enough spaces on these courses? As the space in the course dictates the amount of points, they are all tied in together. As I did not hear it in the Minister of State's response, I will return to the issue of HEAR and DARE. These are vital and those students must fight even harder to get to the points in the way that they can. We really need to be equitable to those students.

Sentiment score: 0.02