Mr. Eddie Redmond:

While I understand we are constrained by time, I note to the committee that the interpreter may be a couple of seconds behind me. I hope we are a little flexible around time. I thank the committee for inviting us to attend and for the introduction. On behalf of the Irish Deaf Society, IDS, I note what an honour it is to make a presentation here on access to public transport for people with disabilities. The IDS has done a great deal of work in Ireland over 30 years with people who are deaf and hard of hearing and whose first language is Irish Sign Language. We are in the process of having Irish Sign Language recognised by the State. We have been doing that for a long time but we expect the Recognition of Irish Sign Language for the Deaf Community Bill 2016 to be passed in the Dáil tomorrow. It will be a great day for the deaf community and we will be in to watch it. It is a historic time for us.

We have had to lobby for a long time for equal access to education, employment, health services and transport. The IDS is a member of the European Union of the Deaf, EUD, and World Federation of the Deaf, WFD, which organisations work with the UN, especially on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The society provides a range of services to empower deaf and hard of hearing people to live independently, including by supporting people who live in rural areas. The Irish deaf community is quite marginalised due to barriers to communication, the discrimination members have experienced and poor levels of service.