David Norris (Independent)

It has been 16 years since Ireland signed the Hague Convention. That is quite a long time gap. That may explain one point which I find interesting. The Minister of State spoke persuasively about the power and significance of the English version. Then there was the matter of the French version. I wonder is there an Irish version of the Hague Convention. This would predate the position where, as a result of Government advocacy, the Irish language became one of the necessary languages of the European Community and a horde of translators was employed.

The reason I ask is because the Minister of State also raised the question of the constitutional provisions. Of course, as he will be aware only too well as a fine lawyer, if there is a conflict between the English version of the Constitution and the Irish version, the Irish version prevails.

This is an aspect of the matter. Senator White was worrying about French but we do not even know whether there is a version of the Hague Convention in our own language. If there is, presumably, by analogy with the constitutional position, it would be the Irish version, not either the English or the French version, that would prevail in law. It is an academic point but in a way the entire debate on this Stage is academic.