Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

Some 4,500 people at junior certificate level and 2,100 people at leaving certificate level are given spelling and grammar concessions during those exams. These concessions are difficult to get because many of those involved are dyslexic, meaning that there is a significant difference between their intelligence and their performance in terms of spelling and grammar. Today, a confidential report has indicated that the withdrawal of the concessions is under consideration. It would be an outrage. Without the concessions, these children would fail. In particular, the withdrawal would kill the Irish language.