There was a disturbing, if alarmist, article in the Irish Daily Mail last week about leaving certificate and junior certificate examination marking. When I was a teacher, I was involved in the marking of examination papers. At the time an examiner had to sign a document regarding confidentiality. It is possible I am now breaching that, but I hope Oireachtas protection will come into play. I have the utmost confidence in the marking system and the way in which the marking is administered by the Department. It is of real importance to young students who have given five years of study that their papers be examined dispassionately, accurately and professionally. However, there are always a few bad apples in every barrel which need weeding out. They can be difficult to identify and deal with. I ask the Leader to request that the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, extend the period of training for examiners. It is currently only two days in Athlone during which time they are to comprehend how the system works and how to put it into practice. This is not enough training, especially for new examiners. I understand it would incur some expense, but I believe it should be extended to at least one full week. This may cut down and minimise the mistakes made in the marking of examination papers. It would also identify possible weak links - in my experience, there are very few - in order that they could be spotted and eliminated from the system in time. That is my response to the article in the Irish Daily Mail.