Students with learning difficulties will no longer need a formal diagnosis costing 600 euro to seek an exemption from learning Irish, this is the first overhaul of the system in a quarter of a century. 

Just under one per cent of primary pupils (5,000) and nine per cent of post-primary pupils (32,000) were exempt from studying Irish.

The age related criteria for decisions is changed from 11 years of age to 12 which brings the decision into the final year of primary going into secondary level.

The decision will be up to the school principal and no longer an expert and many principals are not happy having the burden of the final say. 

To discuss further we are joined by Henry McKean