Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá an-áthas orm bheith anseo le labhairt ar an mBille fíorthábhachtach seo. My friend and colleague, Senator Conway, suggested that I not speak for too long in Irish so that we can make things a little bit easier for the person who is signing our contributions.

I am glad the Bill is before the House and I am delighted to speak on it. I commend the Senators on bringing it forward. This is a Bill of major significance. As a person who has been an advocate for most my adult life for language rights for the Irish language, I can appreciate the difficulties and the challenges that are faced by the deaf community looking for similar rights in the use of Irish Sign Language. Since our last debate a number of months ago I have been trying to do some work on the broad issues in this area and have been working with the deaf community in Galway on this issue. Being able to communicate in one's own language is a fundamental human right. That is the starting point of the debate. People with a profound hearing difficultly or who are fully deaf need to be able to communicate in the language in which they are most comfortable, and we in the Sinn Féin Party, which I am sure my colleague, Senator Cullinane, has outlined, are fully supportive of the Bill and the implementation of the international obligations on the use of sign language.

My understanding is that a number of other issues arise in allowing the deaf community the right to work, being able to conduct a job interview, being able to find suitable employment and having the facility of a person who will use Irish Sign Language to facilitate the ability to communicate on those occasions. The rate of unemployment among the deaf community far exceeds the average. The types of employment people in the deaf community can find themselves might not be matched to their actual capabilities or academic performance simply because the person has an impediment of language. That is part of the mix, that we recognise the need for the deaf community to be able to use their language. I am glad to say that one of the bonuses of working in TG4 when I was there was the significant following among the deaf community because of the fact that most of the programmes are subtitled. It was brought to my attention when I mentioned this recently that they are not all subtitled and we need to work with them on that. I have raised with TG4 the need to consider subtitling more of the programmes. Senator Bradford is correct that RTE is extremely lacking. I am not sure about the situation with TV3, but together with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, we need to look at ensuring all broadcasters make subtitling available. The technology is available, so it is not a question of that so much as the resources and the money to use it.

Money is another issue, particularly in Galway, as I am aware the Irish deaf community find it very difficult to have a suitable space, which can be used as a drop in centre or for social and educational activities in which to meet each other on a regular basis. I call on the Minister of State to examine the funding for the organisations supporting the deaf community, which are totally lacking in funds at present. It is making it impossible for them to get together regularly.

On a positive note, I am sure a number of Senators are aware that I requested that the Houses of the Oireachtas provide a course in Irish Sign Language in order that Senators could learn it. When I was at the launch of Signs of Life exhibition recently in Galway, I felt very inadequate that I could not communicate with all the people in front of me in their own language, Irish Sign Language. We have asked for those classes and, as a first step, we hope to have a deaf awareness course over two half days which will be open to all Members to participate. I hope everybody will, and if we have sufficient numbers, I hope there will be a signing class so that instead of speaking as Gaeilge or as Béarla, in Irish or in English, we might speak in sign language the next time we debate the issue.

I commend the Senators on bringing this Bill forward. It is of major importance. Tugaimid ar fad tacaíocht do sin.