Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is never envisaged that students should fall out of the loop as it were. Even when students receive an exemption, it is very clear that they are encouraged to continue to experience Irish in the school and class and to participate and be part of Irish. The agenda is not for students to fall out of the loop.

The works under way via the Department are quite considerable. We have our Gaeltacht education policy; the Gaeltacht school recognition scheme; the e-hub project and the policy in Irish medium. We also have the content and language integrated learning, CLIL, project to support the teaching and learning of Irish in English-medium schools and settings, access to partial immersion education and promotion of positive attitude towards Irish. We have COGG, from which the committee will hear later, which will outline its initiatives. One such initiative is whereby it is currently involved in the promoting of bilingualism in our schools.

With regard to curricular redevelopment, there is the primary languages curriculum and draft specifications at leaving certificate level. With regard to accessing the leaving certificate, the greatest win for most students is that more than 40% of the exam is now based on the oral. The Deputy will be aware that through senior cycle reform, we are looking at a remodelling of many of these papers. It is to put the spoken language and the experience of the spoken language front and centre and at the heart of the curriculum.

We are talking about continuous professional development, CPD, for staff in schools especially for the new senior cycle. We are looking at everything being run out through our network schools where it will be co-authored with the staff and the students. The cycle will have its centre accessibility to Irish while not forgetting that there is an obligation to cover the culture and history of the language.

I do not believe that students are falling out of the system. Students are given an exemption after considerable consideration of their ability and particular supports being put in place. That has to be formulated in their profile. Only after significant interventions from a variety of sources will the adjudication be made.

I acknowledge the excellent work the committee is doing. I am sure it has taken the opportunity to meet with parents and guardians of children who struggle with the language and to hear about how important it is to them to receive the exemption in order to allow them to access the greater curriculum. I am sure the committee has heard from students as well. The vast majority of students - more than 80% - are taking leaving certificate Irish and almost 50% of them take Irish at higher level. It is a joy to study Irish for the vast majority of them.

I am sure the committee has heard or plans to hear from students who struggle with Irish and how it impacts their accessing of the entire curriculum. That is important. It is my job, as Minister for Education, to hear all voices and adjudicate on how best to ensure there is an equality of access to education. That is where we are at. We are doing all we can to promote, grow and support love of and expertise in the language while acknowledging there is a small cohort of students for whom that is a particular challenge. We need to make a provision for them.