Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I would appreciate greater engagement on this. I am not somebody who is a believer that any subject needs to be compulsory at second level. I think it is very destructive for someone to be in a classroom learning something they really just do not want to learn. I would say that about any subject. However, we have the system that we have. Is it the contention of the Department that if you have a SEN or a challenge in your learning, Irish is something that you do not need to learn? I need to tease this out. If we value Irish, every child, regardless of their academic ability or challenges they may have, should be open and exposed to whatever level of words they can enjoy. I would not want the message to go out from the Department and the education system that this is something that is just too difficult and that you can get out of it for various different reasons. Having said that, there is a wider discussion to be had about the compulsory nature of it.

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