Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the fact that irrespective of the reconfiguration or rearrangement of Court Service facilities that court proceedings through the medium of Irish must continue to be available to residents of Gaeltacht areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41984/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions. Irish is of course an official language of the State and I have been advised by the Courts Service that it is mindful of its obligations under section 8 of the Official Languages Act which specifies, inter alia, that every court has a duty to ensure that any person appearing in or giving evidence before it may be heard in the official language of his or her choice. The Courts Service takes care to ensure that court services are made available in the first official language where any party to any court proceedings indicates a desire to exercise his or her right in that regard and I am assured that will continue to be the case.