Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
625. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the decision in Circular 0002/2026 to award bonus marks for both written examinations and continuous assessment components completed through Irish only from 2027 onwards, and not to extend this provision to students sitting the Leaving Certificate in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12010/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra626. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she recognises that the implications of Circular 0002/2026 creates a measurable disadvantage for the 2026 cohort of students, particularly for students attending Irish-medium schools, where significant assessed components including project work accounting for 20% of the overall mark in subjects such as history and geography are completed through Irish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12011/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra627. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider extending the awarding of bonus marks for continuous assessment components completed through Irish to students sitting the 2026 Leaving Certificate, in order to ensure parity between students completing identical work in consecutive years and to uphold principles of fairness within the education system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12012/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 625, 626 and 627 together.
I propose to take PQs 12012/26, 12011/26, and 12010/26, together.
As the Deputy will be aware, my department has an existing, longstanding policy in place for awarding bonus marks for written examinations in the Leaving Certificate examinations completed through the medium of Irish.
My department recently published Circular 002/2026 detailing the extension of Irish bonus marks to include all components of State examinations, including additional assessment components (AACs) and coursework. The publication of the circular delivers on a commitment made in the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures document published in May 2025 and was further communicated to schools in an Information Note in August 2025.
The extension of Irish bonus marks applies to all students taking their Leaving Certificate examinations in 2027 and in subsequent years. The existing Irish bonus marks policy, as set out under Rule 29 of the ‘Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools 2004/2005’, continues to apply for students sitting their written examinations this year, in 2026.
The extension coincides with the examination of the first Tranche of new and revised subjects, currently being studied by fifth years and to be examined for the first time in 2027.
This acknowledges the value of the AACs in each subject and their intended integration into the teaching and learning experienced by students. It also recognises that a number of subjects within Tranche 1 which are taken by very significant numbers of students that were previously examined solely by written examination now have coursework components with a significant weighting.
In these circumstances, it is considered appropriate to include coursework components completed in Irish for the first time. To not do so would reduce the efficacy of the current Irish bonus marks policy in those subjects, given the numbers of students who complete the subjects of Biology, Business, Chemistry and Physics and where the AAC in these subjects takes the form of coursework at a weighting of 40%.
I note the Deputy refers to one group of students having a measurable disadvantage but without specifying in what way, or measured against whom, or what standard such a disadvantage might arise.
All students completing their Leaving Certificate in each respective year are being treated in the same fashion as any other student in the given year.
The rationale for the extension of bonus marks to coursework is as I set out above. Critically, were the extension not made now, it would significantly dilute the benefit of the bonus in the first instance.
It does not apply to earlier cohorts, including 2026, as those annual cohorts will not engage with additional components under Senior Cycle Redevelopment in the same way as those in 2027 will do so.
In regard to students in the Leaving Certificate 2026 cohort, as referenced above, the completion dates for coursework in some subjects have already passed. In that instance, for example, were it the case that Circular 002/2026 was to be extended to Leaving Certificate 2026; those students taking subjects where coursework has already been completed could not receive any bonus marks (including those applicable to the written examinations) as it is a requirement of the Circular that both the coursework and written examination be completed through Irish.
In that circumstance, students in the 2026 cohort could be treated differently to each other based solely on their subject choices made two years ago. The application of this policy must acknowledge that the Leaving Certificate Established and Leaving Certificate Applied are both two-year programmes. The introduction of significant changes to the Irish bonus marks policy, mid-way through students’ final year as they are preparing for their examinations in June, would also raise significant issues in relation to fairness and equity.
It should also be noted that the provision of Irish bonus marks relates to examinations undertaken by all Leaving Certificate examination candidates where they undertake their examination through Irish and not just those from Irish language-medium schools.
The State Examinations Commission has also recently published circular S10/26 ‘Application of the Irish Bonus in State Examinations’, outlining the operational dimensions of the policy change including the applicable criteria and parameters relating to the awarding of the bonus marks.
My department has a long-standing policy of encouraging the active use of the Irish language by students and in school communities. The extension of the Irish bonus marks builds on this objective, encouraging the use of the Irish language by all learners, in all schools.
The application of the Irish Bonus will be reviewed as subjects are redeveloped under the redevelopment programme.
