Mr. Andrew Geary:

I thank the committee for asking me to come here today. I am very proud to be here, at the heart of our Government in Ireland. It makes me feel that I can give something back to my country today. I thank you all for asking me to come here. I am here primarily to speak on behalf of my son, Calum Geary. As the Chair has outlined, the organisations will speak for the education system throughout our country. I would like to reiterate the matters I have addressed in my opening statement, which I am sure the members have read.

The statistics are frightening, and they are international and not just bound to the island or the country of the Republic of Ireland. A lot of numbers go around in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community as regards educational outcomes and these are not precisely for Ireland but are in general discussion. A deaf signing child is ten times less likely to go to third level, four times less likely to be employed and three times more likely to suffer abuse during their life. The majority of deaf signing children, unfortunately, leave school and the full education system with the reading ability of an eight-year-old or nine-year-old child.

This is despite the fact we have numerous pieces of legislation in place, including the astounding and world-leading Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act. When it went through this House in 2004, unfortunately, not all parts were enacted but, again, this legislation was revolutionary when it was put together by this House in 2004. There was the Disability Act 2005, which also advocated for and enhanced the rights of our deaf citizens and other citizens with special needs.

We go back to the Education Act 1998, which provided for educational rights throughout the sector, again focusing on the needs of the deaf, and there was specific mention of sign language.

When we go to the Constitution, Article 40.3, one of the strongest articles in the Constitution, states that our country, our Republic, will vindicate the rights of its citizenship. Those are very strong words. It is there in black and white and it has been there for a very long time. Article 42 vindicates the right of our children to free access to education but that has not happened.

As I said, I am very humbled to be here today. I am deeply humbled to be at the heart of our democracy because democracy means a huge amount to me. I have worked as a public servant for 25 years, serving our country on the front line as a very humble, honest, hard-working part of An Garda Síochána. I have risked my life many times on behalf of our country, trying to keep our country safe and coming close to being killed on more than one occasion in the service of our Government and our democracy, which means a huge amount to me. I have gone abroad, humbly representing our country. One thing that comes back each time I travel abroad, wearing no matter what uniform – as Government Deputies, Opposition Senators or whatever – is that Irish people are listeners, communicators, passionate about education and they look back at our history.

When the dark ages took over Europe, who brought the works of Socrates and Plato back to Europe but the Irish monastic universities? When we look to the Enlightenment, again, was it not a strange coincidence that the Enlightenment probably saw the peak of deaf education across the world?