Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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507. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to reduce the number of exemptions from studying Irish at second level; the number of special assistant teachers that currently provide Irish language support to second-level students; what measures are being taken to improve the number regarding same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3494/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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While the number of exemptions held at post primary level have increased from 9.37% in 2017/18 to 13.36% in 2023/24, the number held at primary level have decreased from 3.25% to 2.05% over the same period. Overall, the increase at both primary and post primary is from 5.62% in 2017/18 to 6.98% in 2023/24. The number of exemptions must be viewed in the broader context:

- School enrolments at Post-Primary level have increased from 357,408 in 2017/18 to 416,575 in 2023/24, representing an increase of 16.5% at post-primary level.

- Over 18,000 students have enrolled from Ukraine alone over the last 3 years, 11,267 at primary level and 6,846 at post primary.

- At post-primary level, over 86,153 children have come into the education system from abroad in the last 5 years.

- The number of children with more complex special educational needs is increasing and this is evidenced by the almost 1,700 new special classes that have been provided in mainstream schools over the last five years and special school enrolments are increasing by 300 each year.

- There will be an estimated almost 28,000 students with special educational needs enrolled in special classes and special schools in the 2024/2025 school year. This will equate to almost 3% of our overall primary and post-primary student population.

- New circulars were introduced in 2022/23 and so there will be a cohort of students at all levels who would not have previously met the criteria for an exemption from the study of Irish under previous circulars.

Specific steps taken to reduce the number of exemptions include:

- Developed guidelines and FAQs and provide ongoing information to relevant stakeholders (school management bodies, unions, Principal reps etc) and have engaged with them on the effective use of the relevant Circulars

- Continue to provide ongoing support, including a Helpline to respond to queries from schools and parents and advise on the circumstances in the Circulars which must be met before an application for an exemption can be considered.

- Wrote to all primary and post-primary schools reminding them of the criteria for granting exemptions. Department officials continue to closely monitor the granting of exemptions by schools and wrote to all schools advising them of resources available to support teaching and learning of Irish.

- Wrote separately to primary and post-primary schools where it was considered that the level of exemptions granted was high.

- Provided a number of objectives and actions in the new Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy strategy to foster and promote the Irish language (resources, support for parents, support for teachers, etc).

- Ongoing funding of Irish sector bodies such as Foras na Gaeilge to implement initiatives to support teaching and learning of Irish.

- Furthermore, the Department is taking steps to strengthen supports for Irish language education more generally. These include:

- The Gaeltacht Education Policy and developing a new policy for Irish-Medium Education outside the Gaeltacht.

A new Unit has been established within my Department to develop a policy framework and action plan to support the teaching and learning of Irish in English-medium schools.

- additional resources to COGG, a dedicated agency to support the teaching and learning of Irish,

- to promote the Irish Language and the benefits of bilingualism

- to create a digital hub for quality resources for Irish in English medium schools

- to provide language upskilling courses for primary school teachers and delivered in Education Centres across the country in summer 2024

- to develop PE through Irish resources for Primary level

- to progress the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) project

- teacher education and training including the introduction of a BOide programme with increased places and through Oide to empower teachers to use differentiated approaches.

- Curricular reform to strengthen the teaching and learning of Irish with the introduction of The Primary Language Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile, reform at Junior Cycle level with L1 and L2; and reform at Senior Cycle underway-

- The creation of a dedicated GaelAonad in Oide, with specific responsibility for the curricular area of Irish and schools operating through the medium of Irish.

In relation to the number of special assistant teachers, each recognised school is provided with an allocation of Special Education teachers based on the profile of additional learning need in each school. Each post primary school must allocate the resources using the continuum of support framework on the basis of the identified need of pupils. They must apply the principle that the greatest level of support is provided to those students with the greatest level of identified need. On the 10th of December 2024, my department issued revised and updated guidelines to schools on the usage and deployment of special education resources. The guidelines provide that under no circumstances should an exemption from the study of Irish be used as a prerequisite to accessing additional special education teaching support.

The work being progressed as outlined above, demonstrates that my commitment and the Government’s commitment to the Irish language is strong.