asked the Minister for Education the number of teachers relieved of other subjects to teach German, Spanish or Italian following her statement on the matter; if she will continue to hold the Irish and French oral examinations after each other when psychologically and educationally this is most unsound; and if she will investigate the inequity of standards in two oral examinations, that is, 12 years of Irish versus five years of a European language although the standard of topical subjects in French would seem much more demanding.
Written Answers. - Teaching of Continental Languages.
174.
The information sought in the first part of the question is not readily available in my Department.
I do not accept that the present arrangements for the Irish and French oral tests are psychologically or educationally unsound or that there is an inequity in the standards set and I propose to continue the present arrangements.