Irish exemptions for students with dyslexia should not be abolished, says Cork senator

A Cork senator has called on an Oireachtas committee which recommended an overhaul of the system which grants primary and secondary level pupils an exemption from studying Irish to explain its position as he believes the report suggested the removal of the opportunity to seek an exemption for students with dyslexia.

According to Senator Tim Lombard, who is standing for Fine Gael in Cork South West in the forthcoming general election, the recommendation in the report issued by the Joint Oireachtas Committee in February could have ‘potentially devastating consequences’ for the dyslexic community in Ireland.

“It’s hugely important that this proposal is brought once more into the public domain,” said the senator.

“Slower reading, spelling and writing speeds are some of the challenges experienced by dyslexic students, often accompanied by difficulty with memory and processing speed. The Irish exemption affords them additional time during term time to avail of additional supports.”

In the report’s foreword, committee chairman Aengus Ó Snodaigh, the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Irish language and Gaeltacht affairs, said that the current system based on exemptions for a wide variety of reasons, including for students who have done their primary education in other countries and are starting with second level in Ireland as well as students with learning needs, should be abolished and replaced by a system which enables teachers to provide those with learning needs with more effective support to allow them study Irish.

“It’s now the case that one in eight students are getting an exemption from studying Irish,” he said, pointing out that this was a significant section of the student population being denied learning about their language and their heritage.

“The criteria for granting exemptions is too loose and vague for the entire system,” he added.