Leaving Certificate students at a Co Dublin school will re-sit the geography exam that was disrupted by a fire at the school on Monday.
Reversing its original decision to award grades based on school results, the Department of Education will now allow the 94 Leaving Certificate exam students at St Laurence's College, Loughlinstown, do a further exam based on back-up papers.
The re-sit follows a meeting last night in the Department of Education with representatives of the school.
The decision will relieve the concerns of students and their parents who expressed anger at the original plan. They also criticised the Department's handling of the situation. The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen at about 2 p.m., a few minutes after students began writing.
Making the announcement in the Dail late last night, the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, said the circumstances of the fire were "wholly exceptional".
Originally "following an assessment of the position and having regard to the informed views of the school authorities, it was decided that it was not feasible to resume the examination", Dr Woods said.
He was however "very concerned for the inconvenience and anxiety caused to students, their parents, school authorities and teachers".
A total of 165 students were doing the exam - 71 Junior Certificate and 94 Leaving Certificate, 72 of whom are repeat students. Two are external candidates.
The Junior Certificate students will receive a grade. Department officials will contact the school authorities "in order to enable the Chief Examiner for Junior Certificate Geography to compile adequate supporting evidence to determine a grade for each candidate. These grades will have the full endorsement of the Department."