Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the witnesses for being here.

I do not get it. I will try to fit in two questions. Will they answer simply? We have heard about what they are capable of doing but as Ms Bissett said in the previous session, it was 16 years ago. Why can we not do it now? It is done everywhere else. People can struggle through secondary school, get into third level and then the accommodations are available.

Why can we not do it now? That is my first question.

Ba mhaith liom díriú isteach ar Sive. D’fhreastail sí ar Ghaelscoil. I always taught in a Gaelscoil myself. It was a common issue for parents that when children got a diagnosis, they would come with a psychological report that recommended they leave the Gaelscoil. The parents are heartbroken and do not want to, so we work with them.

A lot of exemptions, díolúintí, are being handed out. I think it has risen from about 5% to 26% in the last 15 to 20 years. Are we handing out these exemptions too easily? If that is the case, should we instead be providing more support for children like Sive, who said she loved Gaeilge but was falling out of love with it? Briseann sé sin mo chroí. I ask Ms Feeney to answer those two questions.