Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

Under the provisions of the 1921 Act, this course is delivered exclusively through Irish. This has certainly discommoded students. The conduct of the course will undoubtedly remain in the hands of the examiner, as has been the practice heretofore. My argument is that the fundamentalist mentality of an individual should not be reflected in how the course is delivered and administered. I do not seek to undermine in any way the freedom of operation of the King's Inns or the Law Society. However, even students with a reasonable grasp of Irish could have certain difficulties with Irish legal terminology and may need English language definitions and explanations. Any student who wants to ask a question in English to clarity a particular point should be able to do so. It would be a failure on our part if we neglected to ensure this is the case.

Can I assume that the Minister of State does not want to see any students of this course being discommoded as a consequence of its delivery solely through Irish with the result that they may not have the opportunity to seek clarification and information through the English language?

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