Courts Service
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-27
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Matt Carthy (SF), Cavan-Monaghan

Is the Minister seriously saying he will wait until there is a series of overturned convictions before he acts on what is clearly a gaping problem? He is right that the State pays a significant amount to companies under contracts for translation services, but the translators, it has to be said, are fairly poorly paid.
I have to ask the Minister what checks are in place, through the Courts Service or An Garda Síochána, to ensure interpreting is of a good standard. Are there digital audio or video recordings? Are they checked independently? Best practice across the world, including in our nearest neighbours, is that regulations that can be upheld have been put in place. The Association of Translators and Interpreters Ireland has repeatedly called for the regulation of court interpreters in Ireland. It has argued that the current unregulated system risks miscarriages of justice, violates the right of defendants to a fair trial and creates a potential scenario where people who are guilty of offences can find a route to being released on a technicality. Therefore, I have to ask again. Will the Minister ensure we put in place a system that can have public confidence?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:01+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-27