448. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills to urgently examine and rectify the situation whereby a person holding a medical card is exempt from the fee for the leaving certificate and junior certificate examinations, but is not exempt from the fees for the mock examinations, given that the average cost of €115 to €140 is an extraordinary expense for low-income families, especially where more than one person is sitting an examination in the one year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3113/16]

Mock examinations are not part of the State examinations system. The decision to organise and/or charge for mock examinations is made at school level, and mock examinations are not a requirement of my Department. The Department would have no data relevant to the question.