The State Examinations Commission has cancelled CDs and exam papers that were due to be used in next Monday's Leaving Cert Irish exams due to an error in distribution which saw the material sent to a number of Junior Cert centres today.
The material is to be replaced by contingency papers and CDs.
The SEC said the action was necessary because the integrity of the exams may otherwise be compromised as a result of the error.
Schools will collect the replacement material on Monday morning.
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn reassured students that the integrity of the examination system has been maintained.
Mr Quinn said that the State Examinations Commission had put a contingency plan in place as soon as it was made aware of a possible compromise of the aural test.
Mr Quinn said he had asked for a full report on what had happened from the SEC.
It emerged this afternoon that a limited number of Leaving Cert CDs had been inadvertently distributed to a small number of centres for Junior Certificate candidates with special educational needs.
About 40,000 students will take the Irish Higher and Ordinary level papers and aural tests on Monday.
As well as questions for the written exam, Monday's papers will contain questions related the aural test.
The written examination papers are worth 50% of the marks, the aural is worth 10% while the remaining 40% is accounted for by the oral test which the students undertook in April.
