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.