The Taoiseach will know that the reform of the leaving certificate started seven years ago and it was designed to build on the difficult but successful reform of the junior cycle. The latest postponement which we read of may reflect genuine concerns but we cannot move to a situation where reform is at the pace of the slowest mover. The last reform was nearly 30 years ago and there has been a radical change in Irish society. The OECD describes our leaving certificate as creating second-class robots in a rapidly changing world of technology. We need to move on and we need momentum to deliver serious reform. I am concerned that we are losing that momentum and determination to deliver the change needed.

The Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and the Government, remain committed to a reimagined senior cycle of education where the student is at the centre and where students are prepared for the modern world of work and the modern world in which they live. The decision to defer the move of paper 1 to fifth year was done following reflection on the views provided by stakeholders in answering a call for clarity from students. The Minister has decided to defer the change in the scheduling of paper 1. Taking this step now will facilitate teachers in their planning for the coming school year. Although there are no changes to the syllabus or the principle of integrating language and literature, the additional time will facilitate enhanced planning for the introduction of remodelled papers and the sequencing of the methodologies and approaches to support teaching, learning and assessment.