A chara, - Three cheers for Michael McDowell's stated intention of recruiting members of An Garda Síochána from ethnic minority communities to ensure that the force reflects the diversity of modern Irish society.
The question remains how best to ensure that such trainee gardaí acquire a capacity in Irish. It is obvious that most people who did not attend school in Ireland would not have an Irish language qualification. Many immigrants are already multi-lingual and as such have no prejudice against learning the language.
It is vital that a measure which aims to combat discrimination does not itself lead to discrimination - in a case, for example, where a person speaking Irish to a Garda was ordered to speak English on pain of arrest. - Is mise,
DÁITHÍ MAC CÁRTHAIGH, BL, Gaeltacht Ráth Chairn, Co na Mí.