Dáil debates

Thursday, 10 November 2016

Irish Sign Language Report: Motion

 

7:25 pm

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

It is worth repeating that it is extraordinary that the Bill is coming before the House, and it is extraordinary and wonderful to see all of the people here with the extraordinary event of an interpreter being here to facilitate them in joining the debate. I must admit a huge amount of ignorance on the subject prior to reading the Bill, not entire ignorance but a huge amount of ignorance. Reading the Bill and sitting here make me think that we are all deaf in society, and what we are deaf to is the needs of the people with deafness. Clearly we have been deaf since the foundation of the State to the needs of those who cannot hear. Otherwise, we would not be sitting here in 2016 having been at a point in 2011 when a commitment to recognise Irish Sign Language and resource it was given in the programme for Government. Five years later, we are now speaking about it. All credit is due to the Deputies and Senators mentioned, including all of the members of the justice committee.

Sitting here reminds me of a comedy sketch show from years ago called "Not the Nine O'Clock News". It was very good at throwing a light back on ourselves for the obviously stupid, irresponsible and hypocritical things we do in society. It had a sketch where a guy had invented a big light that went on and off so that deaf people would know the phone was ringing. In the sketch, he tests his invention and a deaf person picks up the phone and cannot hear what is being said on the other end, but a fortune was spent on designing the light. It is ironic and was intended to be funny, but it threw at light back on society on our own hypocrisy and inadequacies. Being here today discussing this all these years later reminds me of this.

With regard to services for deaf people, I want to mention the very admirable points in the Bill on resourcing classes for parents, siblings, grandparents, other persons in loco parentis, a guardian of a child, and to provide hours and hours of academic provision in primary and second level schools and at third level. There is no point in repeating everything. Several months ago, I represented a family in Ballyfermot who are as poor as church mice. They have several family members who suffer with different disabilities. One sister resides in a school for deaf people in Derry because this State is not able to look after her needs. The family visits her every week. I wrote to the Minister and asked whether we could get training for one member of the family in Irish Sign Language so they can communicate with their sister. I received a one liner back with No as the short answer. The family cannot afford the training but needs the training, but the short answer back was No, along with a link to the Irish Deaf Society.

With all of these very admirable and important measures in the Bill, we must ensure they are resourced and not just aspirational, because quick as lightning when austerity hit us in the last recession Minister after Minister cut the funding for disability. Those of us in opposition will remember being outside the Taoiseach's office, and sleeping overnight in some cases, with people with disabilities to help them retain their funding. Quick as lightning this is an area that could be neglected in terms of resourcing and funding. It is very important that people such as the Cummins family in Ballyfermot are not disregarded and dumped and that training for siblings, children, parents and grandparents or whoever is resourced by the State and poor people are not expected to pay for it.

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