Written answer
Third Level Admissions
The Minister said 2026 Round 1 CAO offers will issue on 26 August, following Leaving Certificate results on 21 August, with acceptances due by 1 September. While acknowledging the short preparation period, he said the CAO and institutions are operationally independent and announced an analysis to improve supports and transitions into higher education.
4228. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will review the date on which CAO offers come out to give students and their families more time to prepare for starting third level education. [58995/26]
Comment on this
Receiving an offer through the CAO represents an important milestone for students and their families as they prepare to begin higher education. The period between receiving an offer and starting their course can be exciting but also be a busy time, particularly for those arranging accommodation, transport and other supports.
The CAO has confirmed that Round 1 offers for 2026 will issue on Wednesday, 26 August. Applicants who receive a Round 1 offer will have until 1 September to accept it.
It is important to note that the Central Applications Office (CAO) is a private, not-for-profit company and is operationally independent. The CAO centrally processes applications and makes offers on behalf of higher education institutions, which are themselves autonomous. As such, neither I nor my department has a direct role in determining the admissions process or the timelines for the CAO offers.
It is my understanding that the CAO and the higher education sector are supportive of offers being made to students as early as possible. However, Round 1 offers cannot issue until Leaving Certificate results have been finalised, provided to the CAO and issued to students.
The date for the issue of Leaving Certificate results is determined by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the Department of Education and Youth. The SEC has announced that Leaving Certificate results for 2026 will issue on Friday, 21 August. This is in line with the timeframe for recent years.
The Department of Education and Youth and the SEC are acutely aware of the need for Leaving Certificate results to issue as early as possible. However, before results can be released, sufficient time must be allowed for marking, quality assurance and associated processes to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the results provided to candidates. The provision of a deferred examinations sitting for candidates who are unable to sit the main examinations in June, together with the continued application of post-marking adjustments, are also factors influencing the overall timeline for the issuing of results.
While there are important operational considerations in both the examinations and admissions systems, I recognise that the resulting timelines can leave students and their families with a relatively short period in which to prepare for entry to higher education. In light of this, improving the transition from secondary to tertiary education and ensuring that students can access the supports they need as smoothly as possible is a key priority for me and my department.
To support this work, my department is procuring specialist expertise to undertake a detailed analysis of the experiences and needs of learners progressing from school to tertiary education. This analysis will also examine how pathways, supports and other public services can be made more accessible and easier to navigate. The findings, which are expected later this year, will help inform future measures to improve the student transition experience and strengthen supports for learners entering higher education.