Dr. John Bosco Conama:

A first step would be to look at section 5 of the Irish Sign Language Act, which links to education. It is not clear; it is quite vague. It states that all families should receive access to learn sign language. All teachers are supposed to have assessment of their ISL skills. The wording is not clear and may need to be updated for clarity. As I stated, it is not just about depending on the Irish Sign Language Act; we also need to look to the spirit of the UNCRPD. We can follow the good example provided by countries that they are providing free sign language classes to parents and families. We could follow a model where a one-month intensive course or something like that is provided, for example. Those are the kinds of ideas we need to encourage here in Ireland for any parent who would like to learn. The Deputy is correct. The engagement with the Department of Education is nothing new from our perspective. It has been an issue historically. It is to be hoped there will be a breakthrough and we will be able to break down that barrier. Ms Grehan and Mr. Sherwin may have something to add.