The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) last night expressed concern at remarks from a district judge that foreign defendants should pay for their own interpreter services.
Judge John Neilan yesterday questioned the use of taxpayers' money to provide interpreters for defendants from what he called the Eastern bloc.
Speaking in Mullingar District Court, Judge Neilan said foreigners earning wages could afford the translation services themselves.
"Not one of them is prepared to attend any of the classes available to assist them with having a command of the English language. That strikes me forcibly."
Judge Neilan said: "Why should this court be put to the expense of bringing interpreters to the court? They have plenty of money."
He said he would no longer be authorising payments to interpreters for foreigners who are earning good money in Ireland.
The NCCRI said last night the issue touched on "basic issues of access to justice". A spokesman for NCCRI, Philip Watt, said interpreters were vital in key areas such as health and policing.
"The current practice seems to be patchy and haphazard. Access to interpreters should be adequately resourced and put on a statutory basis."
Mr Watt said he was aware that in certain policing situations interpretation services were available by telephone. He said the situation in the South contrasted with that in Northern Ireland, "where there is less diversity but services are better resourced".
A spokesman for the Courts Service said yesterday the State will spend about €750,000 on interpreters in criminal cases this year.
The figure has risen from about €80,000 five years ago and facilities are offered in 120 languages and dialects. The spokesman said it was not the place of the service to comment on the activities of the judiciary.
However, he acknowledged that the Courts Service operates in an "environment of increasing diversity", and was meeting the challenges this posed.
Interpreters are appointed by the Courts Service once the requirement has been notified to the court clerk in advance.
There is one case on record where a judge refused to allow an interpreter to appear on an ad-hoc basis. In this case the defendant indicated his grasp of the language was sufficient to allow the case to proceed.