NCCA advises the Minister for Education and Youth on curriculum and assessment for early childhood education, for primary and post-primary schools. As part of the broader redevelopment of senior cycle, it is envisaged that a revised specification for Leaving Certificate Gaeilge will be introduced in schools from September 2028. The Development Group for Leaving Certificate Gaeilge will have a key role in this work. The group includes nominees of the education partners and other key education agencies.
Below you will find information on the subject development work including the background paper and brief for the review for this subject, and a note from each of the development group meetings.
Current Stage
Stage 4
Consultation on BGP and Brief
The public consultation on the Background Paper and Brief is open between 1 October and 17 November.Subject Timeline
This timeline shows all the steps involved in the development of this subject specification. It indicates which stages have already been completed, which stages are yet to be undertaken and which stage is currently the active stage.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
School visits completed
NCCA has visited a number of schools as part of the work in gathering feedback on the current curriculum and potential future developments.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Development Group convened
The Development Group was convened on 29 September, 2025 and is due to complete its work by September, 2027.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Background Paper and Brief published
The Background Paper and Brief is published online following discussion at Board and approval by Council. It informs the work of the Development Group and also contains national and international research, including interviews with school management, subject teachers and students in a selection of schools.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Consultation on BGP and Brief
The public consultation on the Background Paper and Brief is open between 1 October and 17 November.
1 Oct 2025 - 17 Nov 2025
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Report on Consultation on BGP and Brief
The report on the Background Paper and Brief is published following discussion at the Board and approval by Council and is published online.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Draft Curriculum Specification developed and published
Guided by the Brief for their work and feedback from the consultation on the Background Paper, the Development Group prepare a draft curriculum specification. The Draft Curriculum Specification is published following discussion at Board and approval by Council.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Consultation on the Draft Curriculum Specification
The public consultation on the draft Curriculum Specification will open following Council approval.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Report on Consultation on Draft Curriculum Specification
The Report on the Consultation on the Draft Curriculum Specification has been approved by both the Board and Council and is published online. The Development Group use the findings from the Report on the Draft Specification to finalise the Specification.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Final Curriculum Specification approved by Council
The final Curriculum Specification is discussed by the Board and approved by Council before it can be sent to the Minister of Education and Youth for final approval.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Ministerial approval and publication
The specification has been approved by the Minister and is available on curriculumonline.ie
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
Subject Timeline
Guidelines to support the Additional Assessment Component published
The AAC Guidelines are developed by NCCA in conjunction with the State Examinations Commission and supported by the Department of Education and Youth, Oide and teacher focus groups.
Stage 4 - Consultation on BGP and Brief
- Subject Development 2025 - 2028
- Meeting notes 2025 - 2028
- Subject Development 2018 - 2023
- Research Hub
The Background Paper for Leaving Certificate Irish was made available for consultation from October 1 to November 17 2025. The consultation is now closed.
Background Paper and Brief for the Review of Leaving Certificate Gaeilge
The specification for Leaving Certificate Irish L1 is aimed at native speakers and learners in Gaeltacht schools, and students in the sector that operate through the Irish language (Gaelcholáistí and Aonaid lán-Ghaeilge). In schools that operate as English-medium schools, there will also be the option to provide the L1 specification.
You can read the draft specification for Leaving Certificate Irish L1 here.
Read the Irish version of the draft specification for Leaving Certificate L1 here.
The specification for Leaving Certificate Irish L2 is aimed at students who use the Irish language as a second language, primarily in schools that operate as English-medium schools.
You can read the draft specification for Leaving Certificate Irish L2 here.
Read the Irish version of the draft specification for Leaving Certificate L2 here.
Draft specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish for L1 and L2 were approved by NCCA Council in November 2020 for public consultation. The consultation process launched in February 2021. Council extended the timeline for consultation until the end of November 2021 in response to requests from stakeholders as they continued to deal with the impact of Covid-19 on schools.
The purpose of the consultation was to gather feedback from teachers, parents, students, Irish language organisations and other stakeholders on the draft specifications.
Consultation report:
The report on the consultation on the draft specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish L1 and L2 records and responds to the views of stakeholders gathered during the extensive consultation. It considers in detail the feedback received on the draft specifications. It also captures feedback on the potential implications for the implementation of new specifications and summarises systemic considerations that arose such as the model of curricular provision for Irish. Informed by the consultation findings, the report concludes by setting out the next steps for Leaving Certificate Irish.
You can read the report by clicking here.
An information note providing an overview of the report and the next steps can be read by clicking here.
Analysis of data received from written submissions and online surveys, as part of the consultation on draft specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish T1 and T2, was completed by University of Galway, and was incorporated into the NCCA consultation report. A report on the analysis conducted by University of Galway is available here.
Welcome to our Senior Cycle Redevelopment research hub for Gaeilge. Here you will find evidence-based insights and academic research to inform and support the ongoing redevelopment of Leaving Certificate Irish. This repository will provide educators, policymakers and stakeholders with a knowledge base to guide and inspire meaningful change.
- Native Languages In The Senior Secondary Curriculum The Perspective From Jurisdictions With Similar Linguistic Profiles To Ireland
- The role of texts, including literature, in supporting the teaching, learning and assessment of Irish
- Perspectives on alignment with the Common European Framework of Reference Companion Volume (CEFR CV) in the context of Leaving Certificate Irish
- Aligning the Leaving Certificate Irish curriculum with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: a perspectives paper
- Perspectives on alignment with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its companion volume (CEFR CV) in the context of Leaving Certificate Irish