Irish Study visa is Reckonable before Immigration Act 2004 ?

My question is regarding Irish Student Visa residency permission.

Section 16A. (1) (B) of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956 (as amended) says that:

(1) A period of residence in the State shall not be reckoned when calculating a period of
residence for the purposes of granting a certificate of naturalisation if—

(b) it is in accordance with a permission given to a person under section 4 of the Act of 2004 for
the purpose of enabling him or her to engage in a course of education or study in the State

It means that those student who landed on or after Immigration Act 2004 came into force, their student permission is not reckonable but those student who Landed before Immigration Act 2004 came into force, their student permission should be consider as reckonable residency because there is no such a law which says that those student who arrived in the state before that Act and their permission will be renew under Immigration Act 2004.

Please advise me on this legal issue.

Thanks & Regards,