Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is a stark example, if it was needed, of the extreme marginalisation of the deaf community. This Bill is necessary not only for this Parliament to understand why we need to treat all citizens of the nation equally but because it is a life and death issue. While we have procedures of sorts in place in our accident and emergency departments there is no requirement for our health services to have in place procedures for members of the deaf community. With funding issues causing pressure across the health services, we need protocols in place and legislation that require the provision in our accident and emergency departments, other Departments and local authorities of services for members of the deaf community. I again praise Deputy Joan Burton who when Minister for Social Protection put in place a system in that Department which ensured interpreters are made available to members of the deaf community, most of whom, because of their circumstance, require social welfare assistance. How does one access social welfare assistance if one does not know one's rights? As a result of the actions of a particular Minister, this is no longer a problem area.

The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, will be aware that we are breaching international law. Provision is made in the Good Friday Agreement for Ulster Scots, Irish Sign Language and British Sign Language. In Northern Ireland, Irish Sign Language and British Sign Language are underpinned by legislation. People have rights in regard to communicating with the state be that by way of Irish Sign Language, British Sign Language, the Irish language, English or Ulster Scots. In the South, we have ignored the international agreement we signed up to. We do not recognise Irish Sign Language even though we committed in the Good Friday Agreement to putting it on a legislative footing.

When it comes to communications with Departments, modern technology allows this to happen without the need for interpreters. There are already in place systems and services that allow online interpretation. This means that a member of the deaf community who is in Dublin can interact effectively and efficiently with, say, Kerry County Council without an interpreter. I know the Minister of State, Deputy McGrath, is committed to this cause. This is not an easy issue. The Bill also crosses the remit of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and RTE, our national broadcaster, which is another reason for the enactment of this legislation. There are guidelines in respect of the provision of sign language interpretation on our national airwaves and in regard to captions for programming. However, these are only guidelines and there is no consequences for not adhering to them. RTE, the national broadcaster, which receives hundreds of millions of euro in taxpayers' money does not even meet those guidelines for the most marginalised in our community. The most watched programme by the deaf community is not "Coronation Street" or any other soap opera such as "Emmerdale", it is "Ros na Rún" because it has captions and subtitles. What we are attempting to do by way of this Bill is ensure that members of the deaf community can understand what is going on in the outside world not only in terms of entertainment but in terms of news.

I was delighted to be at the launch of the report of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality. I thank members of that committee, some of whom are members of this House, who following two weeks of hearings on this issue recommended that this legislation be supported by the Government. I also thank the Chairman, Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, who recommended the passing of this Bill, which is a rare event in itself. The key point, repeatedly referenced in that report, is the "extreme marginalisation" of members of the deaf community. That is the issue we are addressing today.

I am aware that the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, was involved in many of the 1916 commemorations. In terms of the issues faced by the deaf community, the most quoted line from our Proclamation is "...cherishing all of the children of the nation equally.". I will end on this anecdote. During the commemorative parade in Dublin of the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising, some members of the deaf community could not understand what the commentator was saying. While there were sign language interpretation for those on the streets, members of the deaf community who were at home could not understand what the commentator was saying. Again, it was a lack of understanding on the part of the hearing community of the issues faced by members of the deaf community. I hope that the Minister of State will support this Bill and not only at this Stage but on Committee Stage when work in terms of amendments and necessary improvements to it will be dealt with. Fianna Fáil looks forward to its amendments in that regard being accepted and to working with the Government and various agencies to ensure that the ambition of the Proclamation that all we cherish all of the children of the nation equally is fulfilled.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to take this Bill. I also thank him for his support for this cause over the past number of years.