Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted that Mr. Andrew Geary is present in the Visitors Gallery because he has championed the cause of deaf children in education. This very comprehensive amendment, which has been ruled out of order, made it a requirement that the State would provide interpreters for children in education. Mr. Geary had to fight tooth and nail and had to go to court in order to get interpreters for his children.

Some who act as interpreters in the education system are not qualified for the role. We want to address this issue. Section 6 states:

The Minister shall, by regulations made under this section, establish a scheme for the provision of Irish Sign Language classes to—(a) parents, siblings, grandparents of a child who is deaf, and

(b) other persons who serve in loco parentis or as a guardian to a child who is deaf.

Persons who servein loco parentiswould be teachers. We would need to tighten the section because at present the requirement is for the Minister to do so under regulation and there is no provision for when the regulations will be signed into law.