asked the Minister for Education when the students who sat the intermediate certificate 1987 will obtain their certificates.

Priority is being given in the work of the examinations branch to the 1988 leaving certificate which it is hoped to issue next month. Work on the issue of the 1987 intermediate certificates will commence as soon as possible after that. The backlog in the issuing of certificates which has built up in recent years will be eliminated under computerisation of the examination system which it is planned to introduce in 1989.