Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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380. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the requirement to have Leaving Certificate Irish will be relaxed to enter teacher training colleges due to the large number of non-Irish nationals living in the country. [11151/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department specifies the minimum entry requirements in the core subjects: Irish, English and Mathematics for entry into primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes to ensure that primary teachers have the capacity to lead in these significant areas of student learning. The current Leaving Certificate entry requirement is a H4 in Irish.

All candidates, including school leavers, mature students and university graduates must hold the required level of Leaving Certificate Irish, English or Mathematics or an approved equivalent for entry into primary ITE programmes.

In the case of a student wishing to enter a postgraduate programme and who does not meet the minimum entry requirement in Irish, English or Mathematics, it is open to the person to repeat the Leaving Certificate Examination or pursue a course of study leading to one of the alternative qualifications in the subject(s) concerned as outlined in recently published Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) Entry Requirements and Procedures for 2023. Link: gov.ie - How to qualify as a primary teacher (www.gov.ie).