Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is cúis bróid agus sonais dom go bhfuil mé in ann ardú chun tacú leis an mBille seo inniu. A part of me thinks that maybe the rest of us would be wise to shut up and not say any more because Senator Boyhan was right: that letter very much said it all. I have been overwhelmed and very impressed by the level of correspondence to us over the past weeks, not least from the students of Bishopstown. I sat down, like Senator Boyhan, to write a speech to fill eight minutes. However, when I reflected on and thought about the contribution the Irish Deaf Society made at the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality a few weeks ago, its representatives did not work off any notes or prepared speeches or statements. All of it came from a very sincere, personal experience. I thought I would try to do the same because of the thoughtfulness we encountered at that presentation in the committee. The presentation was very profound in its simplicity. I say that because it took a presentation and an engagement like that with the deaf community for someone like me, and I am sure many others on the committee, to realise the very basic, small and sometimes minute levels to which the difficulties faced by deaf citizens go. It is about accessing hospital care, getting into shops, what TV programmes they are able to watch and access to the courts and the criminal justice system. The range therefore goes from the macro elements that are so significant and important aspects of many of our lives right down to the mundane, day-to-day things.

Senator Mark Daly, who has done sterling and powerful work on this campaign, referred to this important year of the centenary of 2016 and the challenge that era and the Proclamation throw down to us to fulfil the aspirations contained in it that we cherish all the children of the nation equally and that we afford rights and equality to all our citizens. That is what this Bill and this issue is about. It is as simple as that. It is about human rights, equality of access, equality of service, equality of aspiration and equality of ability.

Reflecting on it from a personal perspective, I was trying to relate to the difficulties and the issues faced by deaf citizens. While Irish Sign Language and British Sign Language are legislatively recognised in the North, the Irish language, which is the language in which I was brought up and educated, is not afforded those legislative or legal protections. While I have the luxury - when one listens to the issues faced by members of the deaf community, it is a luxury - of being able to communicate in a second language, I do relate to the issue of not being recognised or not being afforded the same rights or entitlements based on something so personal to someone; something so deep-rooted in someone; something so simple; something that is in the first instance merely a form of communication; and something used as a tool to share one's passions, concerns, fears and love. It is as simple as that, and that is all people want and that is all that they deserve, as modest and simple a request as it is, so I commend the motion. It has the full support of Sinn Féin and myself.

Senator Boyhan made a critical point when he said that we can pass all the Bills we wish. I do not doubt the sincerity of all the contributions that have been made and will be made in the time ahead, but this needs to be resourced. It needs the adequate resources to go alongside it to ensure we have not just wasted everyone's time here today; that the students, in particular those from Bishopstown who have joined us today, can take a degree of hope and faith when they leave this Chamber today; that we, as the second House, the Upper House of the Oireachtas, will work on their behalf and will stand up diligently for their rights and entitlements; and that this Bill, while in one aspect a culmination of a campaign, is hopefully just the first step on another journey, that is, a journey of the deaf community having full rights, full entitlements and full recognition by this State.