asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to a recent court case in Derry in which an Irish citizen (details supplied) was refused the right to have his case heard in the national language.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Derry Court Case.
9.
I am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers.
The defendant in this case, who was from Northern Ireland, was charged with a motor taxation offence and sought to have the case conducted in Irish as a legal right. This was not acceded to by the court and the judge did not agree to the provision of an interpreter. I understand that with the exception of Welsh, which is specifically catered for by the Welsh Language Act, 1967, the language in which court business is conducted in Britain or in Northern Ireland is English but that an interpreter may be provided in particular cases at the discretion of the presiding judge.