asked the Minister for Education when the examinations board will be set up.

The board will be set up when the necessary legislation which is at present being prepared has been enacted.

Would the Minister like to state what the name of the Bill will be or which legislation he is referring to?

That remains to be decided. On 19th March this year the Government authorised me to have a Bill drafted for the establishment of a board to organise and conduct the leaving certificate examination and any other secondary examinations as may be deemed necessary. The usual procedure is that on receipt of a Bill certain steps must be taken before it can be presented to the Dáil. It is hoped this will not take very much longer, perhaps a matter of some months.

Has the Minister received the draft heads for this Bill?

I have had the draft heads submitted to the parliamentary draftsman for the preparation of the Bill.

When did the draftsman get the draft heads for the Bill?

Around the middle of this year.