Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any guidelines that will be introduced to recognise the community of Irish speakers by facilitating their inclusion in our legal services and spaces.
Minister of Justice: I very much welcome the long overdue repeal of the Administration of Justice (Language) Act (Ireland) 1737 as a significant recognition of the importance of Irish to many in our community. Any application to use Irish in legal proceedings is a matter for the courts and cannot, therefore be the subject of Departmental guidelines.
My department already recognises the Irish-speaking community by having a code of courtesy on the use of Irish in official business, which is designed to assist staff in fulfilling the Department’s obligations under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
ENDS
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