THE NUMBER OF secondary school pupils given an exemption from studying Irish last year was almost double the number granted an exemption before the pandemic.

Figures obtained by The Journal under the Freedom of Information Act show that 19,827 pupils received an Irish exemption for the 2023-24 academic year.

Approximately 416,575 students were enrolled at secondary level in Ireland last year, meaning that just over one in every 20 pupils received an exemption from studying Irish.

By comparison, the figures provided by the Department of Education show that only 10,374 exemptions were granted in the 2017-18 academic year, when 357,408 students were enrolled, meaning that around one in 33 students received an exemption that year.

The figures only refer to new Irish exemptions and do not include the number of pupils who were already given an exemption in a previous year – so the number of students exempted from studying Irish in each year was higher.

The exemption figures also include students who were newly enrolled in secondary school, but who were previously given an exemption from studying Irish at primary level.

According to the Department of Education, exemptions from learning Irish are granted on the grounds of a student having been educated outside of Ireland for a certain period of time, having significant literacy difficulty or having other additional needs.

The figures provided under FOI show that the number of exemptions granted to those coming to Ireland from abroad and those with special educational needs are relatively even in each academic year.

Last year, 9,853 pupils were given an exemption because they had a special educational requirement, compared to 9,974 exemptions granted to those who arrived from abroad.

The latest figures come months after Irish language campaigners told The Journal that the teaching of Irish in the education system is at “crisis point”.

Julian de Spáinn, general secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge, previously said that the organisation is “very concerned” about Irish in education, adding that the language risks becoming an optional subject if more students continue to opt out of learning it.

“It’s not a surprise for us. The numbers have been increasing over the last number of years,” he said.

De Spáinn was responding to other figures which showed that a record number of students did not sit an Irish exam as part of their Leaving Cert this year.

According to data reported by the Irish Times, 13,695 of the 60,839 students who sat their Leaving Cert exams this year – or 22.5% – were not registered to sit an Irish exam. 

Although Irish is a mandatory subject at second level, students are not required to sit the Leaving Cert exams for the language.

Schools may grant an exemption if a student requests one for an exceptional reason, including that they have moved from a different country and have no experience of learning Irish, that they experience literacy difficulties, or that they attended a recognised special school or class.

Exemptions do not apply in schools where all lessons are taught through Irish.

Anecdotally, principals have said that recent changes to the system of exemptions make it more difficult for principals to refuse them and are a source of conflict between parents and teachers. 

The Irish Independent also reported in February that the Department planned to audit schools with high levels of exemptions from studying Irish.

Earlier this year, a report by the Oireachtas committee on the Irish language also issued a report seeking to end the exemption system for secondary school students.

The report claimed that the system of exemptions “falsely ­convinces school students” that the learning of Irish is more difficult than other languages.