Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I accept what Senator Daly has said. It may be that in the future we will facilitate a motion in the Dáil and Seanad as that would be a very important statement. I will absolutely take the views of Senator Higgins on board. I take the point about participation in culture. Not to be excluded but rather to be actively involved is very important. A few months ago, we had a statement of recognition of the ethnicity of Travellers. Having spoken to people in that community, I know it gave them a great lift and a great sense of inclusion. I accept that we have a hell of a lot of work to do to implement the rights around that and if anybody wants to come at me on it, I will acknowledge that we need to do a lot more. The level of exclusion that goes on regarding the deaf community is unacceptable. The good news is that we are moving in the right direction, albeit we must, of course, move faster and ensure that we not only respect their cultural rights but also address the issue for the broader society. Senator Dolan mentioned the impact of the sign language interpreters on television during the crisis over the last few days, not only on the deaf community but on the broader society. It sent out a message which I have absolutely seen.

Senator Higgins mentioned culture. There is a huge debate going on at the moment among the disability community on arts, culture and drama. A great deal of work is being done which we need to focus on. It has huge potential. It is not a matter solely for the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities; I speak regularly to the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, on the arts and funding for arts projects for people with different kinds of disability. There are huge numbers of talented people in the disability community who we are not getting at and who are not brought into the broader society to make the contribution they wish to. I am listening very carefully to what the Senators say.