Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte ar ais ar an Aire Stáit. It is good to see her back.

I welcome the members of the deaf community and their advocates to the Visitors Gallery. It is great to see them here. As I normally speak as Gaeilge, I will have to temper my use of language. I am a native Irish speaker and although I cannot relate to the fact that somebody cannot hear or has a hearing impairment, I can relate to the difficulties of culture and language in trying to express oneself in the language in which one is most comfortable. Irish is my native tongue and I always feel more comfortable in speaking it; therefore, I can relate to the frustration of our visitors when they are not given the right to lead their lives fully in the language in which they are most comfortable.

I commend Senators Martin Conway and Cáit Keane for bringing forward this important motion. We have had much debate in the past few months on the sovereignty of the Constitution, but this debate should go to the heart of the question of the rights of citizens. I see this as a rights-based issue, whereby all citizens should be treated equally. Therefore, recognising Irish Sign Language concerns the rights of individual citizens. That is where Sinn Féin is coming from on the issue. It supports and recognises Irish Sign Language as the preferred sign language of the deaf community in the State. Tthe State has to live up to its obligations in that respect. We also agree that it is an expression of a unique, rich and valuable culture. That Irish Sign Language came from the Irish deaf community is unique.

In a previous existence I was a television producer and in its early days worked in TnaG which later became TG4. Coincidentally, one of the groups which tuned in regularly to "Ros na Rún", the soap for which I was a producer, was the deaf community. We never expected this and it was a great surprise. During the years we built up a good following among the deaf community through the use of subtitles. That was a great help and it brought home to me the importance of recognising a minority group in the State of which I had honestly not taken due cognisance previously. It is important to recognise that value in our culture.

Irish Sign Language has an interesting history in that it arose from the deaf community and was developed by deaf people. It is a language that has struggled against official suppression, with the result that it did not receive State recognition until 1972. Being an Irish language speaker, recognition as an official language does not necessarily mean the resources required are provided in order that users can practice it on a daily basis. We have much legislation, policies and strategies for the Irish language, but when it comes to living one's life through the medium of that language, it is very difficult. I note the positive points mentioned by the Minister of State in a comprehensive contribution, but I hazard a guess that if somebody was deaf, although these things are written on paper, the reality in terms of having them available when needed is different. It is also a question of resources being made available in order that the members of the deaf community can use Irish Sign Language when they need to do so.

It is long past time for the State, in conjunction with the deaf community, to develop ideas to improve access to public services for users of Irish Sign Language. I welcome the movements being made. The CEO of the IDS, Mr. Peter Regan, stated:

It is a matter of principle that this motion is passed. The Irish Government signed the UN Human Rights Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007, which contains duties towards native sign languages. In addition, an EU Parliamentary resolution from 1988 presented by Irish MEP Eileen Lemass has since been ignored by consecutive Irish Governments, and the more recent Brussels Declaration on Sign Language in the European Union of 2010 urges member states to actively support the use of sign languages.

Although we have taken on board the ethos of the convention, the fact that we have not ratified it since 2007 is simply not good enough for the deaf community in Ireland. I refer not only to this Government, as previous Administrations also did not have it as a high enough priority.

We welcome the Government's targeting of initiatives which would enhance the effective availability of interpreters and interpretation solutions, such as the use of technology for remote access to services. However, I go back to the primary point, that to recognise the language as an official language infers the right to use that language. That is crux of the issue here, that the deaf community in Ireland should be given that right.

The deaf community are citizens of the State and as such, they should be treated with equality and respect. That is what accepting it as an official language would do. They should not be discriminated against, even unwittingly, by the State. However, the failure to officially support the deaf community, and their unique and valuable language and way of life, seriously impacts on their ability to participate fully in Irish life.

We should be taking an all-island approach to these issues. I recognise that strides have been taken in the North to recognise the language and we need to catch up here. If it can be done there, there is no reason it cannot be done here.

It is not acceptable from the national broadcaster that it is at this late stage offering three hours per week of signed programming. I note that the BBC has had signing on its programmes, especially for children, for years. I have often seen it when I am sitting with my children. Although it is a small step, I would contend that the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, needs to push them much harder on these issues.

As the issue of the bilateral cochlear implants has been raised, I hope that the budget next week will make provision for that. It is something on which we in Sinn Féin have been campaigning for a long time. We included it in our pre-budget submission and I hope that the Minister for Finance will do so.

I welcome the initiatives. I welcome what the Minister of State has said. However, as the CEO has said, so far the Government has only paid lip-service to the EU and UN. This is a moment of action and an opportunity for the Government to demonstrate its sincerity on a long-standing issue. The time for action is now. Since 2007, the deaf community have been waiting. It is time to ratify and recognise the language. I am sure that the motion will get the full support in the Houses. I thank the deaf community for coming in.