I propose to take Questions Nos. 521 and 523 together.
As the deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government commits to ‘continue the programme of reform of Senior Cycle to ensure that students benefit from up-to-date curricula, more diverse skills development and assessments, and reduced stress levels.’ Also, the Senior Cycle Implementation Support Measures package was published last May following extensive negotiations and includes commitments to deliver supports in regard to the science subjects.
As of September 2025, the revised Leaving Certificate science specifications and their associated Additional Assessment Components (AACs) are the established curriculum being followed by students. It would not now be appropriate, or in the interest of students, to pause the AACs in these subjects. AACs are designed to be integrated into the teaching and learning associated with the specifications and it is not possible to pause the AACs in isolation. Students, teachers, and their schools are now actively working on their AACs in terms of planning and preparing for the various stages or phases involved in their completion.
AACs are designed to assess students’ skills and key competencies, in a way that a terminal written examination cannot. Instead of relying solely on one final exam, students will learn through exploring, analysing and investigating – not all of which involves laboratory work. This spreads the assessment load, helps develop critical thinking, and prepares them better for college and the workplace. Students have consistently told us this is how they prefer to learn.
The role of the SEC is to provide a high-quality, candidate-centred State examinations service that is progressive, fair and responsive in the context of the Irish second level education system. This includes ensuring that the integrity of the examinations, including inter-candidate equity, is maintained and that the Irish examinations system retains public confidence and is trusted nationally and internationally.
The SEC’s approach to upholding the integrity of the Leaving Certificate in the completion of coursework is to have robust arrangements for the completion, authentication and verification of such work. This process is set out clearly in the published consolidated Coursework Rules and Procedures document published in November. These rules are not new and authentication has always been a critical feature of coursework for SEC assessment. The document clearly sets out the roles of students themselves as examination candidates, of teachers, and of schools. It makes clear the sanctions for the breaches of those rules and critically it sets out how authentication is a process that takes places over time involving engagement between teachers and students – it is not a single ‘point in time’ process.
Schools are supported in safe science practice through a number of documents and resources. My Department has produced documents that set out the key principles of safety in a science laboratory, in addition to guidance developed in collaboration with the Health & Safety Authority (HSA). Oide also provides support and training for teachers on safe science practice in schools, including the webinar “An Introduction to Laboratory Safety in Schools,” provided in March 2025.
In December 2024, schools were provided with a Science Implementation Support Grant worth €12 million. Schools had the autonomy to use the grant to address any locally identified needs, which could include equipment or storage. Schools are supported through the enhanced science subject grant, which has seen an effective doubling of the previous rate from this year and the expansion of the grant to include Agricultural Science and the most popular science subject Biology. This represents approximately €3m in annual subject grant funding in addition to the €12m funding which issued to schools in December 2024 under the Science Implementation Support Grant.
Progress in providing new and modernised science laboratory facilities is being made through the rollout of the school building programme with almost 300 new or modernised science labs delivered since 2020. Work has been conducted within the Department to identify potential acute needs as regards laboratory facilities. The upgrade of laboratory facilities is a dedicated and specific works category within the Department’s summer works scheme. The first tranche of approvals under this scheme was announced in November 2025 including €30m for 60 science laboratories.
Under the published Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures document published in May 2025, a dedicated working group is being established comprising the Department, teacher unions, management bodies and other relevant agencies to identify the approach and mitigating measures needed to address these concerns expressed by teachers.
As Minister, I am committed to ensuring that students are able to benefit from renewed and redeveloped specifications that allow them to develop their scientific skills safely and confidently. To pause AACs, if it were even possible, would need the new specifications themselves to be paused or redeveloped which would introduce a level of confusion for students and schools that would be to the benefit of no one. My officials will continue to engage with all our education partners to ensure the redevelopment of senior cycle responds to the needs of our students to ensure they are prepared for their future lives in education and the workforce.
