Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion and I am delighted to welcome representatives from the Irish Deaf Society to the Chamber.

As Senator Conway stated, my involvement on this issue with Brian Crean, Dr. John Bosco Conama and the Irish Deaf Society goes back a long way. It was important to me that I used my maiden Adjournment motion in the Seanad two years ago to raise the issue. I am afraid not much has happened since then, and I am delighted Senator Conway has put it on the agenda as a Fine Gael Private Members' motion. It is only by keeping it on the agenda at every opportunity we will see advances. I have a lot of trust in the Minister of State that she will ensure it moves forward.

Senator Conway mentioned the Good Friday Agreement. I raised the matter at the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly which meant I had to have 15 signatures, including five each from various member Governments. Some of the Unionists initially confused Irish Sign Language with the Irish language but they were delighted to sign it and we got it through. I am awaiting a report from the three Governments to which it was sent, and the Welsh Government is preparing a Bill.

Official recognition of the language is important. It is all right to state that rights exist and that we will take action, and much is written down on paper, but writing into legislation official rights and recognition is what is important. This is what everybody in society, including the deaf community, deserves. It is not asking for much.

In 1998, the European Parliament passed a resolution on sign language and in 2010 the Brussels declaration on sign language in the European Union was signed. We have no legislation on Irish Sign Language. The Minister of State has provided a good paper on the facilities available, and more is available now than it was before. Irish Sign Language is part of the culture of deaf people and approximately 40,000 people use it, including 5,000 deaf people. It is not easy to be deaf in mainstream society. They are absolutely fantastic people and I congratulate them on the work they have done in reaching the heights they have in society and education. Services are not always available and they must fight for them.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and its optional protocol, was adopted in 2006 and I ask the Minister of State to speak about this. Article 9 recognises the right of people with disabilities to live independently. This aims to eliminate any obstacle or barrier. The article also obliges the State to take certain measures to ensure deaf people can partake in society, included recognising and promoting the use of sign language.

Signing up to that would advance the development of Irish Sign Language. Hungary can do this. It has given official recognition to its own sign language, which creates a foundation. There is an attitudinal shift when people get their rights in legislation, which is all people are looking for.

The adoption of the sign language legislation in Hungary was the outcome of a long struggle, like ours. When I was a councillor, I came to Leinster House to approach then Senator Ann Ormonde, who did what she could, but nothing was really done at the time. I hope we will end the struggle as we have been fighting for it for a long time. Hopefully, we will achieve equality in education, in particular early education at the preschool level. I know Dr. John Bosco Conama and Mr. Brian Crean. When we set up the Model School for the Deaf, it got funding for a three-year pilot project in regard to early education assistance in the home for Irish Sign Language. All of this is necessary. While some assistance is given, they have to fight for it all the way, whereas it should be there as of right, in legislation. I ask the Minister of State to progress this and I congratulate Senator Martin Conway for putting it on the agenda. Hopefully, the Minister of State will come back to the House again on this issue. We will not achieve everything today so we will be keeping it on the agenda.