Mr. Noel Neenan:

That is a really important point. Not only for interpreter services but also for information provision and rights and entitlements, the system should be able to proactively respond without the need for an applicant to intervene. That is the acid test in a sense. Should somebody need an escort - for want of a better term - to access a right or entitlement, interpretive services are critical to that. In fairness, the Department of Social Protection has it in place, but there are issues with accessibility. Yesterday I spoke to a social welfare inspector who was talking about accessibility, the time that it takes and what they need to go through to organise it. It needs to be intrinsic to the process and not something that is added on. That is the first thing and it applies where it does exist.

However, the fundamental issue is that in many cases it does not exist. It needs to exist and as Sr. Keenan said, the people using that service need to be trained to use it and need to understand the process both for the interpreter and themselves so that the process is empowering, is focused on the outcomes that are needed and spots the vulnerabilities. They are key points which will empower people to interact with the system in a fair, reasonable and transparent way that they can understand and have confidence in.