Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Is féidir é sin a dhéanamh. Is í an chomhairle dlí atá ar fáil don Aire ná go mbeidh, faoin Acht Léiriúcháin 2005, céimithe Óstaí an Rí ón am a chuaigh thart, nár ghlaoigh an Phríomh-Bhreitheamh chun an Bharra fós, faoi dhliteanas i gcónaí, tar éis aisghairme Acht 1929, ceanglais Ghaeilge an Achta sin a chomhlíonadh, más mian leo go nglaofar chun an Bharra iad tráth éigin ar ball. Chiallódh sé sin go mbeadh an Príomh-Bhreitheamh ag teastáil i gcónaí, go ceann tréimhse éiginnte, chun a dheimhniú dó fhéin go gcomhlíonann na daoine sin na ceanglais inniúlachta sa Ghaeilge de chuid an Achta 1929, fiú tar éis aisghairm an Achta sin.

Tugann an leasú aghaidh ar sin trí dheireadh a chur le haon dliteanas sa todhchaí ar an bPríomh-Bhreitheamh, de dhroim léiriúcháin Acht 1929, tar éis aisghairm an Achta sin. Baintear é seo amach trína mheas, i dtaca le haon duine a raibh an cúrsa abhcóide dlí críochnaithe aige nó aici roimh aisghairme Acht 1929, ach nach raibh alt 3 den Acht sin comhlíonta aige nó aici, gur chomhlíon sé nó sí amhlaidh é. Ar Acht 1929 a aisghairm, is é is éifeacht don leasú ná nach mbeidh feidhm a thuilleadh ar an gceanglas ar an bPríomh-Bhreitheamh a dheimhniú dó fhéin go bhfuil inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge ag duine a bheidh á ghlaoch chun an Bharra. Níl aon cheist dá shamhail sin ann i leith aturnaetha faoi oiliúint. Tá dearbhaithe ag an Dlí-Chumann nár díúltaíodh ainm aon duine a chur ar rolla na n-aturnaetha toisc gur theip air nó uirthi na ceanglais reachtúla i leith na Gaeilge a chomhlíonadh.

To summarise, a slight technical problem was raised by Deputy O'Shea. I want to refer to the technical aspect. The problem was that there was a requirement to have passed an Irish exam showing one had reached a standard of Irish to the satisfaction of the Chief Justice. The amendment provides that everybody who has completed the relevant course in advance of the enactment of the new legislation being finalised today will be deemed to have passed the Irish test. That is the nub of the issue. Deputy O'Shea called for this reasonable provision to be made. If it is not accepted, some will be in no-man's-land. The two amendments made in the Seanad deal with the issue in a reasonable way. It does not arise in the case of solicitors. My understanding is that nobody was refused entry in seeking to be a solicitor because he or she had failed the Irish exam and that this is a matter solely for those who have finished their course. The amendment attempts to deal with the issue raised by Deputy O'Shea.

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