asked the Minister for External Affairs if he has a panel of simultaneous interpreters available in the country to meet a demand for their services, if and when required.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Panel of Interpreters.
1.
Although my Department is aware of a small number of Irish residents who have been employed for this purpose by the organisers of international conferences, we have not within Ireland a sufficient number of fully qualified simultaneous interpreters to provide for all possible requirements which could include all five official languages of the United Nations.
The need for such services here is very sporadic and, therefore, does not offer prospects of a career in Ireland for fully qualified professional simultaneous interpreters. International bodies holding conferences here normally provide their own interpreters. To the extent that interpreters are not available here it has been found possible to obtain them from abroad as required.
Do I take it from the Minister's reply that we have no interpreters here or, if we have interpreters, that they are not officially recognised?
The Deputy must not have been listening. I said that the Department of External Affairs was aware of a small number of interpreters who were capable of taking up employment for the purposes he has in mind.
Are they listed on a panel?
No, there is no panel available.