Written answers
Wednesday, 20 April 2016
Department of Education and Skills
State Examinations Exemptions
James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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427. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to examine the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare regarding Irish exemption for students with Asperger's syndrome; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7542/16]
Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Under the current departmental circulars, 12/96 for primary and M10/94 for post-primary, students with Asperger's Syndrome could be exempted from learning Irish if they meet the criteria for an exemption as specified. However, the learning profiles of students with Asperger's Syndrome would not generally meet the criteria for general or specific learning disability as set out in the circulars, as a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome relates more to emotional and social communication needs. Many students with Asperger's Syndrome are high functioning and achieve well at school.
In respect of the case referred to by the Deputy the position is that the school wrote to my Department in November 2015 seeking advice from the Department. Following a review of this case by my Department it was advised that the student concerned did not meet the criteria for the granting of an exemption.
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