An expansion of the exemption list for studying the Irish language is 'completely against' education.
That's according to Pádraig Ó Duibhir, director of DCU's Sealbhú Research Centre for the Learning and Teaching of Irish.
He was speaking as students with a 'high level of multiple and persistent needs' may be allowed to skip Irish as a compulsory subject.
Students who score in the lowest 10% of pupils in reading, comprehension or spelling can get an exemption.
These are also granted to students from abroad who have spent their early years outside the State.
But Pádraig told Newstalk Breakfast exemptions are not the way to go.
"There's been a system of exemptions in place for over 50 years now.
"Originally the idea was children who were in special schools, who had significant learning difficulties, there was an exemption for them.
"But with the mainstreaming of special education needs children, which is obviously the correct approach... it is now become part of the mainstream system.
"I and others have been very critical of it, because there's no evidence internationally that children who experience literacy difficulties can't learn a second language.
"Many children who have an exemption from the study of Irish study French, Spanish, German or Italian at post-primary".
He said the curriculum should be adapted to help, rather than scrapping it altogether .
"By having this thing in the system you're creating a negative message about Irish.
"You're telling certain children 'Oh I don't you'll be able to learn Irish, that'd be much too difficult for you'.
"[This] is completely against what we do in education.
"If a child has severe dyslexia and has difficulty with reading, then we emphasise oral and listening when it comes to the language.
"So basically, as we do with everything else, we should be adapting the curriculum".
