A District Court judge has attacked organisations who have criticised his stance of asking foreign nationals, who could afford it, to pay for their own interpreters.
"I never indicated that those who could not afford assistance would ever be refused it, just that if they could pay, they should pay," said Judge John Neilan in this week's sitting of Longford District Court.
He accused groups such as the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, who "sit on their ivory towers", of having "no understanding of realities"."What is there in court to assist those who come here unwisely and find themselves destitute?" he asked.
The State will spend about €750,000 on interpreters in criminal cases this year, up from about €80,000 five years ago.