Caít Keane (Fine Gael)

I wish to raise an important issue on behalf of the deaf community, namely, Irish sign language. I am not referring to signing in Irish but the sign language and culture of the deaf community. It is an old language, having been first established in Ireland in 1846, but it is not recognised. It is in the programme for Government which states that it will examine different mechanisms to promote the recognition of Irish sign language. I am asking that time be made available to debate this issue in the presence of the Minister for Education and Skills so we can discuss the kinds of mechanisms the Goverment intends to examine, the timeframe it intends for the completion of the examination and the proposals which might come from the Seanad on Irish sign language and how we compare with the rest of Europe.

British-Irish sign language is recognised in the North of Ireland and is included in the North-South agreement. In that sense we are only catching up with the North of Ireland. The language has formal recognition under the Good Friday Agreement. It is important to the deaf community. There are over 5,000 people who use Irish sign language in preference to signed English. Iceland recognised its own sign language last May, and many countries such as Hungary recognise their own sign language. Over 5,000 people in the deaf community use the language but over 40,000 people who work with the deaf community use Irish sign language and there is a dearth of information, booklets and other material to help the deaf community. I am asking for a debate in the House to try and implement what is in the programme for Government and examine the different mechanisms to promote the recognition of Irish sign language. This is also provided for in the Brussels declaration.