'Compelling evidence' to cancel Leaving Cert, Minister insists as scrutiny intensifies

"It would not be the exam experience which students had prepared for and would have had an expectation of sitting before this crisis hit."

Education Minister Joe McHugh has said that the Leaving Cert was cancelled due to "compelling evidence", but calls have been repeated for that advice to made public.

Speaking in the Dáil for the first time since Friday's cancellation of the state exams, Mr McHugh said that it had always been his preference that the exams take place either as planned in June or in July. However, he said that it was not possible to run the exams while adhering to physical distancing guidelines.