Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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1358. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of hours per week that are spent teaching Irish in primary schools. [32323/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The 1999 Primary School Curriculum provided that, where Irish is the first language being taught in a school (as in the case of Gaelscoileanna or in schools located in the Gaeltacht), there should be four hours instruction per week, and 3 hours per week where there is a shorter day for the infant classes. Where Irish is the second language being taught, the suggested minimum timeframe is 3.5 hours per week for senior classes, and 2.5 hours per week for infant classes with a shorter day.

However, in accordance with the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020, Departmental Circular 0056/2011 provides that, with effect from January 2012, all primary schools are required to increase the time spent on the development of literacy skills, particularly in the first language of the school (which in the case of Gaelscoileanna and most Gaeltacht schools is Irish), by one hour overall for language (Irish and English) per week.

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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1359. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of hours per week that are spent teaching Irish in secondary schools. [32324/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Departmental Circular 0025/2012 provides that students in Irish-medium schools should have access to an Irish lesson every day.

Under the new Junior Cycle, Irish will be designed for a minimum of 240 hours of timetabled student engagement each over the three years. This is not a maximum or target time, and is intended to give schools flexibility to plan a Junior Cycle programme that will meet the educational needs of their students.

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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1360. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number taking Irish at junior certificate level; and the number receiving each, A,B,C and so on, grade for the past three years. [32325/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The key points to note in relation to Junior Certificate are that 29,100 candidates sat the Higher level examination in 2015 – an increase of 1,740 on the candidature for 2013. 21,678 candidates sat the Ordinary level Paper in 2015 – a decrease of 1,567 candidates from 2013. 1,217 candidates sat Foundation level in 2015 - a decrease of 171 candidates from 2013, showing a continuation of the trend in recent years of decreasing numbers at this level.

The results are broadly in line with previous years for all levels although marginally weaker in relation to A and B grades at Gnáthleibhéal. This may be attributable to the loss of some of the better achieving candidates through the continuing gradual migration from Ordinary to Higher level.

Information on the numbers obtaining the different grades at the three different levels - higher, ordinary and foundation - is all freely available on the website of the State Examinations Commission at

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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1361. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number taking Irish as a subject at leaving certificate level; the number receiving each grade for the past three years. [32326/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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There was a significant policy change implemented from 2012 which significantly increased the proportion of marks assigned to the Irish oral component of the Leaving Certiifcate. The oral examination is now worth 40% of the total marks, compared to 25% formerly.

46,565 candidates presented for the Leaving Certificate Irish examination in 2015 compared to 43,647 candidates in 2013.

The numbers taking Higher Level Irish have increased from 16,665 in 2013 to 19,460 in 2015.

Information on the numbers obtaining the different grades at the three different levels - higher, ordinary and foundation - is all freely available on the website of the State Examinations Commission at

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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1362. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students at junior certificate level who have received exemptions from Irish; and the reason they received exemptions. [32327/15]

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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1363. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students at leaving certificate level who have received exemptions from Irish; and the reason they received exemptions. [32328/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1362 and 1363 together.

The information requested by the Deputy is below.

A small number of schools omitted exemptions granted for the first time in 2014/15. The department estimates that the number omitted is in the region of 400. However please note that these exemptions will be included in student returns for 2015/16.