We move to Questions on Promised Legislation. Thirty-one Deputies have indicated. I call Deputy McDonald.

In the space of one week the Government has missed two deadlines for a decision on the leaving certificate. Will the Taoiseach acknowledge the real distress this dithering and indecision has caused for leaving certificate students and their families? Will he confirm that we will have an announcement today, that it will bring the kind of clarity leaving certificate students need and that it will afford them the level of choice required after two academic years marked by disruption? Will the Taoiseach also confirm what the plans are for the junior certificate and whether students and children will be returning to schools on 1 March? There has been speculation and rumour on this and I suspect a date has been thrown out without any real substantive planning or even public health advice, although I hope I am wrong. I hope the Taoiseach will answer me on those three matters of the leaving certificate, the junior certificate and the return to school.

I have missed no deadlines. I said this week that we want to bring clarity for the leaving certificate cohort of 2021 and that is the priority. I recall the Deputy and her spokesman on education calling for consultation with all the partners in education on related issues as far back as January. The Deputy cannot have it both ways. She talked of the Government dithering and so on. The Government is engaged in substantiative discussions with all the partners in education: students, parents, teachers and the management bodies. Covid-19 has upended all our lives, nowhere more so than with education. It caused disruption last year to the ordinary process of education in schools. We successfully got schools reopened from September to December. We have delayed the reopening of schools because of Covid-19 and the variant. We will be giving that consideration in terms of the phased return of schools. I accept it is vital that clarity is brought to the situation but the Government has rightly engaged in consultation with all involved. We do not blame any sector. This is difficult for all concerned because of Covid-19.