John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 471: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the circumstances (details supplied); if she will intervene with her Department officials on this case and grant them an exemption from the study of Irish under Section 1 Part 1 Circular 12/96 as they have significant problems in their development with the English language and a history of specific learning difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7139/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the primary school curriculum Irish is a compulsory subject.

Exemption from the study of Irish may, however, be granted to primary pupils under certain circumstances as outlined in Department Circular 12/96. A condition for the granting of an exemption to a pupil with a specific or general learning difficulty is that evidence of such a disability must be furnished by a qualified psychologist.

There is however no provision in the Department's circular for the automatic granting of exemptions to pupils on foot of a recommendation in a psychologist's report. Under the terms of the Circular delegated authority to grant exemptions from Irish, within the conditions laid down, has been vested in the individual school authority.

With regard to the particular case referred to by the Deputy, the position is that the school concerned determined that the pupil in question did not satisfy the requirements of Circular 12/96 and turned down the application for exemption from Irish. Following consideration of representations received in the matter, the case was reviewed by my Department who took into account the details of the reports submitted, but concluded that the severity of difficulty for the pupil in question is not adequate to merit an exemption from the study of Irish. In accordance with this decision the school has been informed that the pupil in question is required to participate fully in Irish classes.