Courts Service Unveils Landmark Irish Language Strategy, Moves Toward Full Bilingual Functioning

Dublin, July 14: The Courts Service of Ireland has announced a major step in its commitment to language equality, unveiling its first-ever Irish Language Strategy, aimed at evolving the organisation into a fully bilingual entity. The move will ensure that members of the public can engage with the Courts Service in Irish to the same extent as they currently do in English.

The strategy outlines 44 targeted actions across six strategic priority areas, establishing a clear roadmap for the integration and development of Irish within all aspects of the organisation’s operations.

Dónal Ó Gallachóir, Irish Language Strategy Manager (Bainisteoir Straitéise Gaeilge) at the Courts Service, described the strategy as transformative:
“The goal is that the public will experience an active bilingual offering without delay or difficulty. It’s the Courts Service’s ambition to develop a centralised Irish Language Office, improve the quality and availability of Irish language services, and bring about full parity between English and Irish in all aspects of service delivery.”

As part of this initiative, the Courts Service will place a strong emphasis on recruiting staff proficient in Irish, while also rolling out a comprehensive, tailored training programme to build language capacity across the organisation.

Additionally, a new framework for delivering Irish language services—across digital platforms, face-to-face interactions, and telephone communications—is set to be developed, ensuring consistent and accessible bilingual engagement for all users of the court system.

This strategic initiative is in line with the broader national policy to promote the Irish language and supports the ongoing implementation of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021.