Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any consideration has been given with respect to students with a diagnosis of dyscalculia being considered for mitigating allowances when they sit their State examinations, similar to other diagnosed disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56851/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.

In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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106. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on whether the Irish curriculum and Junior and Leaving Certificate level is fit for purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56858/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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108. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the Irish curriculum will be updated to allow students to have a better level of Irish speech when leaving school including oral and written levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56860/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 108 together.

There have been significant developments over the past decade in Irish language curriculum provision for learners in post-primary schools.

As with all curriculum development work undertaken by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the development of subject specifications is carried out by representative development groups. The Subject Development Group (Meitheal Forbartha) for Junior Cycle Irish and for Leaving Certificate Irish both comprised a range of key stakeholders with expertise and experience in the learning, teaching and assessment of Irish, including practising teachers of Irish.

In relation to Junior Cycle, following extensive consultation, L1 (Language 1) and L2 (Language 2) Irish specifications were introduced in schools in 2017 as part of Phase 3 of the roll out of the Framework for Junior Cycle (2015). This was the first time discrete Irish language curricular provision was made, in response to stakeholder feedback, for student learning Irish in Irish-medium and in English-medium post-primary schools. All students who started Junior Cycle from Autumn 2017 onwards are learning Irish as laid out in these new specifications.

Responding to requests received from stakeholders through the recent consultation on draft L1 and L2 specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish, the NCCA Council decided to undertake a review of the early enactment of Irish, L1 and L2, in Junior Cycle. Accordingly, I understand that a report on the early enactment of Irish, L1 and L2, in Junior Cycle is currently being finalised by the NCCA.

The current Leaving Certificate Irish curriculum was introduced to schools in 1995. The NCCA commenced work to develop Leaving Certificate Irish Specifications for L1 and L2 in December 2018. A consultation on draft specifications was opened in February 2021. In response to stakeholder feedback and requests, the closing date for this consultation was extended to the end of November 2021. I am advised that a draft report on those consultations was presented to the NCCA Board for Senior Cycle at its meeting on 1 June and to NCCA Council on 16/17 June and I expect to receive the finalised report in December.

The development of students’ skills in Irish language spoken production and interaction is central to the curricular specifications for Irish at all levels. The specifications espouse an integrated approach to the development of all language skills. It is worth noting that the specifications for Irish at Junior Cycle ensures all students have opportunity to engage in the assessment of their competence in spoken Irish, as well as the other language skills.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on whether there should be a full Irish oral examination for Junior Certificate students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56859/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Following extensive consultation, L1 (Language 1) and L2 (Language 2) Irish specifications for Junior Cycle were introduced in schools in 2017 as part of Phase 3 of the roll out of the Framework for Junior Cycle (2015). This was the first time discrete Irish language curricular provision was made, in response to stakeholder feedback, for student learning Irish in Irish-medium and in English-medium post-primary schools. All students who started Junior Cycle from Autumn 2017 onwards are learning Irish as laid out in these new specifications.

The assessment of skills in spoken Irish forms an integral component of the overall language learning experience and occurs in a number of ways. As well as the completion of tasks where students use and demonstrate their oral language skills to achieve specific learning outcomes, their oral language skills are also formally assessed through Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs), the second of which is entirely based on students’ oral language competence. The CBA is linked to ongoing classroom exchanges and represents a more authentic reflection of students’ interests and competence levels in Irish. Importantly, the oral skills of all students are now assessed in CBAs and formally reported upon in each students’ Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement. Unlike the previous reporting format in which candidates receive one overall grade based on their achievement in Irish in the Junior Certificate, whether they undertake the optional oral or not, the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement allows students’ achievement in the CBAs to be recorded independently of the result in the state-certified examination.

Additionally, it is worth noting the previous oral examination in the Junior Certificate was optional and was taken by approximately 40% of students, and was generally assessed by their teachers. The new assessment arrangements on the other hand require all students to engage in an assessment of their oral skills through the CBA.

Responding to requests received from stakeholders through the recent consultation on draft L1 and L2 specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish, the NCCA Council decided to undertake a review of the early enactment of Irish, L1 and L2, in Junior Cycle. Accordingly, I understand that a report on the early enactment of Irish, L1 and L2, in Junior Cycle is currently being finalised by the NCCA.