James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the members of the deaf community who are in the Visitors Gallery for this historic occasion. This Bill was introduced in the Seanad by my Fianna Fáil colleague, Senator Mark Daly, in 2013. It has been a long road to get to where we are today, but it shows what can be achieved when we work together and persevere on an issue of huge importance to our society. The Bill provides civil rights for the 50,000 members of the deaf community in Ireland and, crucially, places responsibility on the State to deliver those rights.

From my experience as party spokesman on mental health, I welcome these provisions, which include an onus on the State to provide interpreters in all public services, including hospitals, as a means to enable members of the deaf community to gain the help they may need when suffering from poor mental health. The provision to provide funds to support users of Irish Sign Language, ISL, in accessing social and cultural events is likewise particularly welcome. These changes will facilitate ISL users to play a full and unencumbered part in Irish society, which will have a positive impact on their mental health.

These provisions will have huge benefits for members of the deaf community in my own county of Wexford. I give a special mention to Our Lady of Lourdes secondary school in New Ross, which contacted me earlier this year when pupils were doing a project on ways to bring about improvements in areas of social neglect, for which they chose to focus on the provision of services for the deaf and hearing impaired. It is through projects like this and the awareness created by deaf community campaigns that we have got to where we are today. I congratulate the deaf community on their achievement and the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, and his officials on the important part they have played in progressing the legislation. I thank Senator Mark Daly and his assistant, Ms Grace Coyle, on their work in initiating the passage of the Bill through the Houses.

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