Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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726. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made regarding the number of sraith pictiúr students in the 2026 Leaving Certificate class will be required to learn for their Irish oral exam; and if they will need to learn ten or 20 sraith pictiúr, given that the number was reduced to ten in recent years as an accommodation for the Covid-19 pandemic. [12292/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The sraith pictiúr, or picture sequences, are a component of the common Irish Oral test for Higher Level and Ordinary Level candidates, with the Oral test accounting for 40% of the overall marks for Leaving Cert Irish.

In response to issues highlighted in National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) research about the sraitheanna pictiúr and the conversational elements of the Oral Irish exam, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) introduced adjustments to the structure of the Common Oral examination for the 2020 exams and thereafter. These aim to create greater opportunity for candidate-examiner interaction and so give the candidate scope to display their competence while keeping a balance between the different parts of the oral exam. However, the oral exams did not take place in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.

Since then there have been adjustments to assessment arrangements in light of the pandemic’s impact on teaching and learning. These adjustments have been made with due regard for the principles of equity, fairness and integrity, in relation to student-to-student, subject-to-subject, and year-to-year comparisons. They include a reduction in the number of sraith pictiúr that each candidate must prepare from 20 to 10.

On 17 April 2024, the then Minister for Education confirmed that adjustments would be made to the 2025 State examinations. These adjustments are the same as those that applied to State examinations in 2023 and 2024, but updated as relevant.

Detail on the adjusted assessment arrangements for every subject/module descriptor in the Leaving Certificate Established, Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and Junior Cycle programmes were issued to schools on 18 September 2024, and schools were asked to ensure that all students were made aware of these changes.

The level of future year adjustments to examinations after 2025 will be informed by the 2025 experience.