Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD has said that the Minister for Education Norma Foley must make a statement in the Dáil today and answer questions from TDs regarding errors found in the Leaving Certificate calculated grades system.

Speaking this afternoon, he said:

“This is an extraordinary development and my heart goes out to all students who have already endured so much in the past year.

“The Minister for Education needs to come before the Dáil urgently, make a statement and answer the many serious questions that now arise.

“According to the Taoiseach, the government knew about these errors last week. The second round of CAO offers went out last Wednesday. Did the government allow the second round offers to proceed knowing that these problems existed?

“Thousands of students will be wondering how this could affect their grades and their future. 

“It has been reported that 10% of students – 6,000 – may be affected and that between 800 and 900 students may have lost out on a college place due to these errors. What does this mean for them? Will they now be able to access those places?

“I know myself from talking to students and their families that many students had put their all into their studies to get their preferred courses and could not believe the level of the downgrading they experienced.

“What does this mean for the prospect of further legal challenges? 

“Right now, there are more questions than answers. A statement from the Minister to the media simply won’t cut it.

“Minister Foley needs to bring clarity and certainty for students who are experiencing a great deal of stress and confusion today. She needs to tell students and their families how she will fix this. That needs to start by taking questions in the Dáil.”