Mr. Mark Bohan:

The report into the exemption system that I was talking about was carried out by the inspectorate in 2018. It concluded that there was a need for these categories of exemption to remain for the special needs category and the other categories. There have been amendments to the criteria and there have been changes from time to time in the circulars. It is important to say, as I said at the last committee when we were talking about this matter, that the provision of an exemption is not the same as saying that people cannot learn a language. The exemption is based on the ability to do the curriculum as it is set out in terms of Irish.