Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Nov 1993

Vol. 435 No. 10

Written Answers. - Irish Language.

Mary Harney

Question:

36 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Education if she has satisfied herself with the Irish language results in the Leaving Certificate 1993; if a trend is emerging; and if so, the action, if any, she proposes to take to remedy the situation.

Micheál Martin

Question:

151 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education her views on whether there is an urgent need to review the Irish language curriculum at both ordinary and honours leaving certificate level.

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 151 together.

The grades obtained in Irish at the leaving certificate over the last three years show no particular trend in that the percentages of students obtaining the various grades have, to a large extent, remained fairly constant.

I am concerned, however, that of the order of 20 per cent of candidates fail to secure a grade D in the subject particularly among those taking the ordinary level papers.

I am aware also that pupils who took the foundation level Irish for the junior certificate examination in 1992 may have a difficulty in taking the ordinary level syllabus in the Leaving Certificate course. A programme exists — the present senior certificate course — which has an Irish component in it. As an interim measure only, pending review of the leaving certificate syllabuses, it is open to pupils taking the leaving certificate examination in 1994 and 1995 to study Irish from the senior certificate programme as an alternative to the leaving certificate Irish ordinary level programme. I have arranged that a new leaving certificate syllabus at foundation level will be introduced in 1994 and it will be examined for the first time in the leaving certificate examination in 1966.

The new applied courses at the leaving certificate which will replace the existing senior certificate and vocational preparation and training courses will also have an Irish component.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is at present revising the Irish syllabuses at higher and ordinary levels and it is anticipated that these new syllabuses will be introduced for the school year 1995-96.

Through these measures, a variety of new courses in Irish will be introduced over the next few years and this will give all students the opportunity of studying Irish at a level appropriate to their abilities.