asked the Minister for Justice if he will give an assurance that in future district justices appointed to the Galway District will be fluent in the Irish language and capable of hearing evidence from native Irish speakers without interpreters; and if he will make a statement on this matter.
Written Answers. - Court Cases in Irish.
72.
The law provides that so far as may be practicable having regard to all relevant circumstances, the Justice of the District Court assigned to a district which includes an area where the Irish language is in general use shall possess such a knowledge of the Irish language as would enable him to dispense with the assistance of an interpreter when evidence is given in that language. Regard is always had to this provision when a Justice is being permanently assigned to such a district and every effort is made to ensure, so far as it is possible to do so, that the Justice possesses the requisite knowledge of Irish.
However, a fluent knowledge of Irish on the part of a District Justice would not necessarily enable him in every case fully to understand evidence when given in that language by native Irish speakers. I have in mind difficulties with local dialect or local idiom. For that reason a District Justice might consider it necessary, in the interests of justice, to have the services of an interpreter.
Another aspect of this matter arises where people who have little or no Irish are involved in a case. If they are involved in a case which is conducted in Irish or in which evidence is given in Irish, the interests of justice may require that an interpreter should be present rather than that the Justice should act as interpreter as well as Justice.
Incidentally, the wording of the question seems to imply — though I feel sure the Deputy does not intend it to — that the present District Justice of the Galway district has not sufficient Irish to enable him to hear evidence from native Irish speakers. My information is that the Justice in question is fluent in the Irish language.