Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:496. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated cost to abolish Junior and Leaving Certificate exam fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45666/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 16 June 2026
Ceisteanna (496)
Freagraí scríofa
Entry fees were applied for the 2026 State exams at the rate of €116 for Leaving Certificate candidates and €109 for Junior Cycle candidates, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. These rates are unchanged since 2012. Protections are in place so that any student with a full medical card, or covered under a parent or guardian’s card, continues to be fully exempt. This approach strikes a fair balance, maintaining support for those who need it most while restoring a long-standing contribution towards the cost of running the examinations system. The State Examinations Commission’s payment portal opened on 19 March, with fees due to be paid by 22 May.
The cost of abolishing examination fees is dependent on factors such as the overall number of candidates and rate of medical card eligibility. However, as a guide it can be noted that €12m was allocated to the SEC in Budget 2025 to meet the cost of the entry fee waiver in that year. This is only a small part of the overall cost associated with running the State examinations, the majority of which is funded by the State. Each year the SEC delivers a high-quality examination service to candidates. In 2026, a record number of candidates are sitting state examinations, with some 146,553 sitting both Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate programmes. Funding collected through examination fees contributes to the overall cost of delivering those examinations.