The Department of Education is being urged to rethink its new system for exemptions from studying Irish.
It comes after there was a 16 per cent increase in Leaving Cert students being given exemptions in the past year.
Students used to have to get a cert from an independent psychologist, but now school principals can authorise the exemptions based on exam results.
Julian de Spáinn from Conradh na Gaeilge claims the new system is not working.
He said: "I think the Department of Education basically put the pressure on the schools themselves instead of coming up with a system that would actually address what the problems are.
"They're avoiding the situation, that's what a lot of the exemptions are — avoiding the situation, not coming up with something that would actually solve the problem.”
