The weather outside is absolutely stunning, which can mean only one thing: leaving certificate students are knee-deep in preparation for mock exams and the leaving certificate season. I send my best wishes to them. This morning, I wish to ask about leaving certificate grade inflation, a subject on which I know the Minister has received a lot of correspondence. Apparently, 25% of those competing for CAO places in the autumn of this year will have completed their leaving certificate in previous years.

The concerns of the leaving certificate students in my constituency are that the 2025 students are competing at a systemic disadvantage. They fear they may risk losing CAO places, not because of their academic ability but because of inconsistent grading standards, as they see it. They also fear the current system undermines the integrity and fairness of the CAO process. What can the Minister say to reassure them as they head into probably the most challenging academic period of their lives?

I wish all of our students well and acknowledge the stress they are under and, indeed, the preparation under way at the moment. To clarify first and foremost from the information I have, 25% of students from last year will not apply this year.

That is from previous years.

On average, approximately 13% every year reapply for the next year and the indications are that this year will be no different. On top of that, every year, irrespective of whether there have been fluctuations or not, eight to nine out of ten students will get one of their top three choices. It is really important to stress that to students. It is not 25%, it is most likely about 13% and eight to nine out of ten students will get their one of their top three choices. The reason there will be a change and there needs to be a change is the grade inflation that has happened since Covid. It had to happen and it was important that students were supported in what was a very difficult time.

Grade inflation makes it more difficult for students because it pushes up the marks and we are now seeing people in a lottery to get the courses even though they have the points. It is proposed that there would be a much more gradual reduction at a much lower and slower rate than that at which it increased, which was over only two years. This will be a much slower, more gradual reduction which will impact a very small number of people. We need to be clear on those facts that may be misunderstood at the moment.