A new CAO points system, which will be used for entry to higher education from 2017 by students now entering 5th Year, has been announced.

The new points scheme will be accompanied by a new Leaving Certificate grading system, which was announced earlier in the year.

Under the new system a H1, which will be the new top leaving Cert mark, will be worth 100 points and a H2 will be worth 88 points.

The new scheme has been designed to reduce the number of students who get the exact same points score.

The old system used points that were multiples of five.

Points in the new system are more uneven to reduce the use of random selection in the allocation of third level places.

The new system also encourages the uptake of Higher Level subjects for the first time giving points to students who score between 30-39% in a subject.

Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan said she hoped the reforms would help reduce pressure on students.

Minister O'Sullivan told the RTÉ's News At One that points in the new system will be more uneven, reducing the use of random selection in the allocation of third level places.

In connection with niche courses being offered by third level colleges, the Minister said there have been a reduction in such courses and that her department has been working with colleges to ensure there is broader entry.

"There will always be pressure and, I suppose, in some ways, that's a positive about the Irish education system that so many students, first of all , stay on to their Leaving Cert and secondly have the ambition to go on to higher education.

"But there are other pathways. You can go into further education, you can do PLC courses and then go on and take those steps, gradually," she said.

We are also, this year, introducing new apprenticeships, in areas we never had apprenticeships before."