This afternoon, the heads of the seven universities decided at a meeting to award an additional 25 points to students who get a D or more in the higher level paper.
A spokesman for the Irish Universities Association said this was to target students who drop from higher level to ordinary level at the last minute and also students who feel it is not worth their while to pursue the higher level course.
Tánaiste and Minister for Education Mary Coughlan said 'the introduction of bonus points for maths sends a clear signal to our leaving certificate students about the importance we attach to the study of maths.'
Employer's group IBEC also welcomed the move.
