It cost €3m to provide interpretation in the courts last year — with translators required in more cases involving Swahili and Lingala, the Bantu language of north west Congo  (DR), than for cases heard in Irish.  Now new rules are being brought into force that are designed to cut the huge cost to the taxpayer.

The Irish Courts Service has initiated a pilot scheme in the Border counties of Cavan and Monaghan which will mean that cases involving foreign nationals will be heard all on one day — rather than divided over different court sittings.

Judge Sean MacBride announced in Cavan last week he was initiating the move in relation to forthcoming court lists to avoid interpreters having to sit all day in courts, waiting for only one or two cases to be heard.

See: Independent.ie