In the 2024-2025 academic year, 73,077 students across primary and post-primary level held exemptions from Irish. “An exemption from Irish does nothing to actively support students’ learning need and denies the student access to an important part of their culture. A separate contributory issue is that learning support is often provided to those with dyslexia during Irish-teaching time, meaning parents are left with a choice between learning Irish and receiving additional support. She believes a “clear instruction” from the Department of Education is needed to prohibit the provision of learning support during Irish classes only. He remarks how he frequently meets adults who say they were “denied” the opportunity to learn Irish in school.

Source: The Irish Times December 22, 2025 10:30 UTC