Mr. Alain Newstead:

I am 18 years old and I am a sixth year student in Bishopstown community school in Cork. I am profoundly deaf and use Irish Sign Language, ISL, as my first language. I thank Senators for their invitation to participate in this consultation and giving me an opportunity to present my submission. As they may be aware, this is my second visit to Leinster House. Last year, I campaigned with my school and its student council in support of the Bill to recognise Irish Sign Language as an official language. On that occasion, a letter I wrote was read as part of the debate in the Seanad. In that letter, I called on the Government to have my first language, Irish Sign Language, officially recognised. As a deaf person who cannot hear the spoken English language, I felt denied of my human right to have a language. As a result, the deaf community, including me, is denied access to important information and services in many aspects of daily life. I know the work on this Bill continues and I trust the Government will recognise my language in the near future. The deaf community of Ireland wants equal citizenship and we hope that once the Bill becomes law, it will bring positive changes to our lives.

The purpose of this consultation is to discuss the national anthem. I am pleased to be here to have my voice heard as part of this consultation and to present my views on this topic. Again, we Irish Sign Language users are denied access to participation as equal citizens. The national anthem was composed in Gaelic and later translated into English, but never into Irish Sign Language. This needs to be rectified.

Recently, at a whole school event, the Lord Mayor of Cork requested everyone present to sing the national anthem. On that occasion, one of my teachers, Ms Dowling, was interpreting in Irish Sign Language. Suddenly, she had to refrain from signing while everyone else in the school proceeded to sing their hearts out. I felt totally lost and excluded. I knew everyone was singing an important song about my country and I could see the passion in their eyes and body language. However, I felt even more excluded and frustrated as I could not share the experience with my peers. For this reason, I call on the Government to provide an official Irish Sign Language version of the national anthem.

I am proud to be Irish and my deaf friends in school, who are as patriotic as I am, also feel left out, which is a terrible shame in 2017, when Ireland is supposed to be an inclusive society. The deaf community in countries such as India, New Zealand and the United States all have their own official anthems in sign language. Last year, Lady Gaga sang the American national anthem at the Super Bowl and many deaf viewers enjoyed access to the song via Marlee Matlin, an Oscar winning deaf actress who interpreted it. It is time for Ireland to follow suit and have a sign language version of the national anthem of which all of us can be proud. I call on members to ensure my voice and the voices of the deaf community are heard. We are citizens of Ireland and we deserve equality. We want to fully participate in society and have pride in our country. I ask members to give us this opportunity by ensuring a standardised Irish Sign Language translation of our national anthem is provided.

I am hopeful of a future where Irish Sign Language will be recognised with an ISL interpretation of the national anthem.

I will achieve my dream of being an equal citizen in my own country. I ask the committee to help me to realise that dream.