About 25,000 students, or some 7.5 per cent of all those at second level, are exempted from Irish in the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams, according to the Department of Education. The projection is based on a sample survey of 75 schools during the last school year.
The figures come amid concern in the department about the increasing number of students who appear to be opting out of Irish.
The number of exemptions granted in Irish has increased from 16,700 in 2002 to over 20,600 in 2004 , according to official figures.
Although some of this is due to greater numbers of foreign nationals in Irish schools and increased recognition for special-needs pupils, the department's inspectorate has expressed concern about the trend.
Concerns have been raised that some students are gaining the exemption easily, opting out of Irish and concentrating on other subjects.
In the past year, the department has circulated new guidelines to schools. These are designed to ensure that any exemption is fully merited. The official department figures are based on exemptions granted and do not take into account thousands of other applications which may have been rejected.
In a statement, a department spokeswoman said: "The department does not have information about exemptions applied for, because schools have delegated authority to grant/refuse exemptions; only those granted are notified to the department."
Last year's survey involved 75 of the 400-plus second-level schools in the State. Based on a total enrolment of 320,000 at second level it suggests a national figure of about 25,000 exempted from Irish, according to the department. Since 1994, the number of second-level students seeking an exemption in Irish has increased from just over 2 per cent to the current department estimate of over 7.5 per cent.
Some teachers and educationalists estimate that the true figure is above 10 per cent. The conditions for an exemption from taking Irish as a Junior and Leaving Cert subject include evidence that a student has been living abroad until the age of 11, foreign nationality and learning difficulties. The number of exemptions granted to pupils at age 11 has been constant for some time. But the figures for foreign nationals and those with learning needs have been increasing. About half of those who secure an exemption at primary level continue to be exempt from Irish at second level.
The number of Junior Cert students taking Irish has declined in recent years.
