Mr. Andrew Geary:

That is an excellent question. There is a programme under way in Dublin City University, DCU. The first four deaf primary school teachers are due to graduate very soon. The Department has given permission for the second cohort to come through the system. For the first time ever, we will have deaf teachers for deaf students. It is the first time in a long time that has occurred. Perhaps when it comes onstream that will level the playing field in primary schools as regards deaf role models and so on. However, the outcome of a High Court case in 2008 has never been fully implemented. Trinity College Dublin, TCD, had a fully outlined programme ready to roll out where there would be a fast-track continuing professional development, CPD, system for any teachers that needed this training. The programme was ready to go in 2008 and the pause button was pressed on it. We need to reintroduce it. We need to look at the teachers who are using their own time and money to become more fluent in the language they are teaching. It is the only language in the State where a teacher can go into a classroom with no professional qualification in sign language and teach it. To its credit, the UK has a programme, as the members are aware. However, British Sign Language is as different from Irish Sign Language as spoken English is from spoken Russian.