Rules on compulsory Irish in schools are to be overhauled for the new academic year.

Changes to exemptions are among the new reforms being introduced. Students with learning difficulties will no longer require a psychologist's assessment to obtain an exemption from studying Irish.

Julian de Spáinn of Conradh na Gaeilge feels this change could put school principals "under additional pressure to give students exemptions when they don't need them."

Journalist Declan Lynch thinks that Irish should not be a compulsory subject and that forcing people to learn any language is an "abomination".

They both joined us to discuss the issue.

Listen to the interview in full by pressing the play button on this page.