I did not raise this issue.

The leaving certificate and leaving certificate applied, LCA, classes will start their exams next week. I wish all classes every success with their exams. They have had a very tough, twisted and dizzy road going through both fifth and sixth year to arrive now at exams that they thought might never have happened. Go n-éirí go geal leis na daoine seo atá ag déanamh na scrúduithe ardteistiméireachta agus LCA an bhliain seo tar éis dhá bhliain aisteach a bheith curtha díobh. There is an increased number of CAO applications and additional students looking to move on into further education. Will there be additional opportunities in apprenticeships, post leaving certificate, PLC, courses, college places, options available for students facing into those exams and options after the summer.

I appreciate that this issue been raised and I think the Deputy is the first in the House to wish the leaving certificate cohort of this year the very best in their examinations. He is correct in saying that dhá bhliain aisteach a bhí ann. They have had two very strange and difficult years because of Covid-19 both in fifth year and in the leaving certificate year. We wish them the very best as they prepare for their examinations. The Deputy is also correct that there has been an increase in CAO places, partly we suspect because of the Brexit effect, but that being said, we do need to increase places. We increased places substantially last year.

As part of the recovery and resilience plan announced yesterday, we will provide significantly more places in apprenticeships, further education and higher education. The Minister with responsibility for higher education is working on a plan to increase places, given the demand that will be there and the pressure that will be on.