asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the history of proposals by her predecessors to introduce a subject, Irish Studies, in the curriculum in second level schools; and her views on such proposals.
Written Answers. - Irish Studies.
330.
I am aware that proposals for Irish studies were under consideration by my predecessors. From the outset the main concern was to cater for those pupils who were having difficulty with the existing syllabuses in Irish.
A great deal of curriculum work has been done since then and the experience gained in various projects has been incorporated in the new junior certificate Irish syllabuses in which there are three levels of Irish. The basic course takes full account of the difficulties encountered by some pupils studying Irish.