Language and law: case for the defence of Irish

OUR voluntary Irish language group, Ionad Buail Isteach, have to date collected 312 signatures on our website petition at www.ionad.org and 150 signatures on paper to support the Irish language in the legal system.

Our group opposes the Government bill (formerly the Labour party bill) ending the oral Irish requirement for solicitors and barristers because it will damage the status of Irish generally, and in the legal system in particular, and will make it impossible for Irish speakers to be given equal rights in the courts.

We believe court cases and services in Irish should be on offer in all Irish courts and that both fluent and weak Irish speakers should be encouraged to use whatever Irish they have in court.

Could we not have official titles, forms of address in the courts, etc, in Irish in future. Support systems and language learning opportunities should be provided for all those studying and practising law in Ireland.

We believe that if a vital system is not working well, it should be improved rather than abandoned.

The Irish language requirement and usage is the only meaningful difference between our legal system and the English system.

We support the call from law students asking the Government to withdraw this bill (Letters, December 4) and ask all TDs, especially those working at committee stage, to oppose it.

Seán MacSuibhne

An tIonad Buail Isteach

Connolly Books

43 Sraid Essex Thoir

Baile Átha Cliath 2