Leaving Cert students who suffer a close family bereavement during the State examinations in June will be allowed to sit alternative papers in July, the Department of Education has announced.

This marks the first time that bereaved students will have this option available to them.

The Minister for Education, Joe McHugh, requested a review last January into how students are supported following the death of a close loved one.

"I called for the review of this issue after hearing the compelling interview of Rhona Butler with Ryan Tubridy several months ago. I want to thank Rhona again for highlighting this issue and demonstrating how we should look after and support students who have suffered a loss.

"The death of a loved one is a deeply traumatic event for any young person, which will only be compounded if it occurs in the midst of exams," he explained.

Rhona Butler's mother passed away on the night of Wednesday, June 13, in 2018, however as there were no bereavement policies in place at the time, she had get up early the next morning to attend her business exam. Her German exam was the day after that and her mother's wake was held that evening.

Speaking on the radio, she said she was lucky that her mother's funeral was on a Saturday, but the following Monday, she was back in school for another exam.

"The Leaving Certificate plays a hugely important role in our education system and in the progression of our young people. We have a duty to take reasonable measures to support young people who suffer loss at such an important time for them. My hope is that the new initiative will go a small way to easing the burden and stress of bereavement and giving students space to focus on their family," Minister McHugh said.

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) examined the scheme of Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE), which provides assistance to candidates with special needs in state examinations.

The interim measures, which have been announced, are on a pilot basis and represent an ‘important enhancement to the existing provisions', the department said.

The main details of the 2019 pilot scheme include:

-Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) candidates who are absent from some of their examinations as a consequence of the death of a close relative at the time of the examinations will be allowed sit an alternative paper in those subjects in early July
-The scheme will allow for a student to be absent from exams for a three-day period during the June written state examination timetable
-The three-day period will commence from the date of the death of a close relative up to and including the day after the funeral. These three days do not need to be consecutive
-The three-day period is intended to allow bereaved candidates time free from Leaving Certificate examinations to prepare for and attend the funeral of their loved one
-The measures will apply in cases where the death of the close relative occurs during exam time, or in the two days prior to the exams commencing on June 5
-The scheme defines a close relative as a father, step-father, mother, step-mother, legal guardian, brother, step-brother, half-brother, sister, step-sister, half-sister, grandfather or grandmother
-The scheme will also provide for the death of a son or daughter, wife or husband or civil partner of a Leaving Certificate candidate.
-The alternative sittings will take place over five days - Monday July 8 to Friday July 12, 2019. The exam centre will be in Athlone this year.

The department said that this scheme is being introduced on an interim and pilot basis and it will be reviewed after the 2019 Leaving Certificate. The results from the alternative Leaving Certificate examinations will be available at the same time as the main examination results, on August 13.