Know Your Rights:
Appealing your Leaving Cert results
August 2019
Question
If I am unhappy with a result in my Leaving Cert, how can I get the grade reviewed?
Answer
The Leaving Cert results will be available on 13 August this year. If you are unhappy about a result and would like to have it checked, you can appeal your grade to the State Examinations Commission (SEC).
However, before you decide to appeal your grade, you can view your examination script to see how your work was marked. To do this, you must register on the Candidate Self Service Portal on the SEC website, examinations.ie. You can make an application to the viewing of scripts service online from 9am, 14 August to 5pm, 16 August. You will need your username and password (you get this when you register on the portal). Only the scripts from the written examinations can be viewed – not the results of oral examinations or marks for practical examinations. If your script was marked on paper, you will be assigned a session to view it on either 20 August or 21 August. If it was marked online you can view it online from 5pm on Tuesday 20 August to 5pm on Wednesday 21 August.
If you decide to go ahead and appeal your result after viewing your script, you should log into examinations.ie, access the Candidate Self Service Portal and complete the process online. This service will be available from 5pm, 16 August until 5pm, 22 August. The process is the same for all scripts whether they were marked manually or online. Your script will then be sent to an appeal examiner for re-marking.
The appeal fee is €40 per subject for the Leaving Certificate. The appeal fee for the Applied Leaving Certificate is €15.50 per subject. You will get this fee back if your result is upgraded. You can get more information from the Candidate Information Booklet – Leaving Certificate 2019, published by the State Examinations Commission.
Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.
Know Your Rights:
Emergency medical card
August 2019
Question
What is an emergency medical card?
Answer
An emergency medical card is a temporary medical card that is issued without a means test in certain emergency situations and is valid for 6 months. For example, you could be issued an emergency medical card in an acute medical crisis where you need urgent treatment that you cannot afford without a medical card.
Only a healthcare professional (for example, a doctor or consultant) can apply for an emergency medical card for you. They must include a detailed medical report with the application.
The application will be reviewed by a Health Service Executive (HSE) medical officer.
If your application is approved, it can take 7 to 10 days to get your emergency medical card in the post. However, your card will be active straight away so you can get the care you need.
You will need to complete a means assessment before your emergency medical card expires. The HSE will write to you when you need to do this. The means assessment is for a full medical card for you and your family.
In some cases, the medical officer may recommend a terminal illness card. These are given to people who are getting ‘end of life’ treatment. This means a prognosis of less than 12 months to live.
If you get a terminal illness card it will never be reviewed and will not expire.
Further information is available from the National Medical Card Unit on (051) 595 129, or Lo-call 1890 252 919, or from the Citizens Information Centre below.
Know Your Rights:
One-Parent Family Payment
August 2019
Question
What is the One-Parent Family Payment?
Answer
The One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a means-tested social welfare payment for men and women under 66 who are bringing children up without the support of a partner.
To qualify for OFP you must:
- Be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian of a relevant child – generally this means a child under 7 but there are some exceptions.
- Be the main carer of at least one relevant child that lives with you. OFP is not payable if parents have joint equal custody.
- Be habitually resident in Ireland(certain people, in particular EU nationals who are considered migrant workers, are exempt from the habitual residence condition).
- Not be living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting.
If you are separated, divorced or your civil partnership is dissolved, you must have been living apart from your spouse or civil partner for at least 3 months. This does not apply to cohabitants. You may need to make efforts to get maintenance from your former spouse or partner.
The maximum rate for OFP is €203 per week. If you are working, your gross earnings from insurable employment or self-employment cannot be more than €425 per week.
In general, you stop getting OFP when your child turns 7 (the exceptions are where you are caring for a child with a disability who is getting Domiciliary Care Allowance or if your partner has recently died). If you no longer qualify for OFP, you may qualify for the Jobseeker’s Transitional payment. This is a payment for people parenting alone whose children are aged between 7 and 13.
Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.
Know Your Rights:
Changes to parental leave
August 2019
Question
I heard that there will be changes to parental leave later this year. What are they?
Answer
A number of changes to parental leave are due to take place in 2019 and 2020.
Currently parents (and people acting in loco parentis) can take 18 weeks unpaid parental leave on behalf of children up to age eight.
A phased extension to parental leave is planned. From 1 September 2019, parental leave will increase by 4 weeks to 22 weeks. From 1 September 2020, parental leave will increase again by 4 weeks to 26 weeks.
The age of eligible children will increase from 8 to 12 years of age from 1 September. Currently, if your child has a disability or a long-term illness, you can take parental leave up until their 16th birthday – there is no change to this provision.
If you have already taken some, or all of the current entitlement of 18 weeks parental leave, you will get the additional weeks of parental leave, provided your child is still under the qualifying age.
A new paid Parental Leave Scheme that will allow parents to take two weeks paid leave each during their child’s first year is expected from November 2019. Legislation needs to be enacted before this change can come into effect. You can follow the progress on oireachtas.ie.
Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.
Know Your Rights has been compiled by your local Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public.
ARKLOW Citizens Information Centre
73 Lower Main Street, Arklow
Tel: 0761 07 6750
email: arklow@citinfo.ie
Monday to Friday: 9.30am – 1.00pm; 2.00pm – 5.00pm
BRAY Citizens Information Centre
2 The Boulevard
Quinsboro Road, Bray
Tel: 0761 07 6780 Fax: 01 2116699
email: bray@citinfo.ie
Monday to Friday 10.00am – 4.30pm
Tuesdays: 7.30pm—9.00pm
WICKLOW TOWN Citizens Information Centre
9/10 Lower Mall
Tel: 0761 07 6840
email: wicklow@citinfo.ie
Mon 10.00am to 4.30pm
Tues, Wed & Thurs 9.30am – 1.00pm & 2.00pm—5.00pm
Fri 9.30am – 1.00pm
Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, 0761 07 4000.
