Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 839: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the criteria which are applied in granting an exemption from having to sit Irish as a compulsory subject in the leaving certificate to persons who have spent part of their education outside of the country; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a person who has spent five years out of the country, but where the years were not in consecutive order, is not entitled to an automatic exemption; and if he will make arrangements to modify this rule. [14735/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The guidelines in relation to an exemption from the study of Irish at post-primary level are set out in circular M10/94. Under the terms of this circular students, in the following circumstances, may be allowed to substitute any other subject from the list of approved subjects for Irish: students whose primary education up to 11 years of age was received in Northern Ireland or outside Ireland, and students who were previously enrolled as recognised students in a primary or second level school who are being re-enrolled after a period spent abroad, provided that at least three years have elapsed since the previous enrolment in the State and the student is at least 11 years of age on re-enrolment.

I do not propose to modify these provisions at this time.