Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Senator Burke spoke about the proposals that can be implemented and the proposals that are achievable. This might be the crux of the issue here. When we look at amendment No. 3, it refers to the different State bodies and organisations, etc., that we look to to provide Irish Sign Language supports.This is a rights-based issue. Either people have the right to have Irish Sign Language recognised or they do not. If we are here as law-makers and saying that we will make the laws when we can put the resources in place, it is not going to happen. We have seen that in all kinds of disability areas, and the Minister of State knows that. What we are here to do is to make the law, and the system has to follow and provide the services that people are due under the civil rights obligations of the State. To me that is the issue in this case.

The Minister of State said that he did not want a political football made of this issue. I would hope that he is not making a political football of it because he is telling us about an announcement he is going to make in two weeks' time. He mentioned that he is going to be launching his own policy issue. I hope that the reason the Government is opposing a number of the amendments and causing trouble over this Bill is not because the Minister of State wants the glory when that announcement is made in two weeks' time because that simply would not be acceptable.

I am also concerned that the Minister of State referenced the Official Languages Act. He might clarify that for me. Is he referring to Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla which deals with the relationship between the State and the Irish language? Can the Minister of State clarify what the connection he sees here is and what the issues are? The two issues should not be drawn into each other. A review of that Act is happening at the moment, so I would appreciate if he could clarify what he means.

I must apologise to the Public Gallery and the Minister of State because I have to be somewhere else later on so I will not be able to stay for all of the debate which is being taken by my colleague, Senator Ó Donnghaile. We must vote on these amendments. I believe there will be a majority in this House who will support these amendments. The Government can come back on Report Stage with its own amendments, but I believe that we will still have the numbers in this House to support the amendments that we deem appropriate. It is time we recognise the rights of the deaf community and the need for recognition of Irish Sign Language for them. The Government has to get behind this legislation, provide those resources and make sure that they are made available, rather than pretending that once they are available it will put the legislation in place. That is totally unacceptable. It is an excuse that is being used again and again, and it must be utterly frustrating for the people who are watching this debate.