asked for Minister for Education whether he will review the rule under which children from Northern Ireland whose parents take up residence in this country are excluded from securing intermediate or leaving certificates unless they qualify in Irish.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Intermediate and Leaving Certificate Examinations.
31.
The position is that for this purpose pupils from Northern Ireland are treated in similar manner to those from the rest of the country. Thousands of pupils from that area have over the years attended schools within the State and the schools have made special arrangements to enable them to acquire the necessary knowledge of Irish.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that very considerable hardship is caused to people by this rule in its present form and that there should be some modification? Where, for example, a bank manager serving in Northern Ireland is transferred to the Republic and the children have already completed a number of years in school in Northern Ireland he should not be put into the position in which he dare not send his children to school in the Republic lest they fail to acquire a sufficient knowledge of Irish and, because of that, fail their terminal examination. Such parents are forced to send the children to boarding schools in Northern Ireland, as is the case in the particular instance in which I have been in communication with the Department, and would the Parliamentary Secretary agree to look sympathetically at particular cases of hardship of this kind, which affect both the religious minority and also, in some cases, the religious majority whose children have been at schools not offering Irish in Northern Ireland?
The Deputy will appreciate that for a considerable period, indeed since the foundation of the State, in fact, many pupils have come to study here, having commenced their studies in Northern Ireland, and the evidence appears to be that they have not, in fact, been in any way impeded.
It depends on the child.
It does, of course. The Deputy will appreciate that in order to acquire the necessary intermediate or leaving certificate all that is required is a pass in Irish. Exceptions have been made. Some matters are under consideration at the moment, such as matters relating to political refugees and so forth. I appreciate the Deputy's point, but the whole matter will be kept under review and a decision will not be taken in relation to any particular case until such time as that review is concluded.
May I be quite clear? Decisions in individual cases will not be taken until a review at present taking place is concluded?
To be more precise, first of all, pupils who have come from other countries, apart from Northern Ireland, who have difficulty in acquiring, in the first instance, English because they have not been using English as a spoken language, receive special consideration. Now the question arises of refugees who need special consideration. Special consideration is being given in that area as well. No provision has been made as yet for the type of case about which the Deputy has made representations and, until such time as the other matters are cleared up, no decision can be made because one has to rely on the previous experience of pupils from that area.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that where parents are advised by the heads of the primary schools in which the children are that it would be unwise for the children at that stage in their career to take on Irish because they might not get the examination some consideration should be given? In those circumstances the parents are faced with no alternative under the regulations but to send their children to boarding schools in Northern Ireland and, in cases like that, the Parliamentary Secretary should give special consideration. Will he agree to reconsider cases of this kind?
We will give every consideration to each case.
I will resubmit the case to the Parliamentary Secretary and hope that he will look at it again.
What is the position of children of Irish emigrants who return to this country from England?
That is a different matter.
It is the same thing. I object to that kind of answer.
It does not arise on this question.
Why is it a different matter?
The question relates to children coming from Northern Ireland.
Children are children no matter where they come from.
The Deputy should have regard to the question asked.
This is an attempt at giving guff now instead of a decent answer.
It does not arise on the question. I am concerned with the rules of order and procedure.
Order does not arise. Question No. 32.