Irish the only compulsory Leaving Certificate subject

I WAS amazed by the comments of Conradh na Gaeilge president Dáithí Mac Cárthaigh (Irish Examiner letters, June 17).

He highlighted the low uptake of higher level mathematics for the Leaving Cert this year, and asked: “Are we to expect Fine Gael to blame compulsion and call for maths to be made optional for the Leaving Cert?”

Mr Mac Cárthaigh seems unaware that maths is already optional for the Leaving Cert. It is considered to be a “core” subject and, in practice, the vast majority of schools require students to sit the subject. But to say that it is not optional is incorrect.

There are 34 subjects on the Leaving Cert curriculum, and only Irish is compulsory. I would have thought that the president of Conradh na Gaeilge, of all people, should know that.

Barry Walsh

Brookfield Hall

Castletroy

Limerick