Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Hoey for sharing her time with me. I welcome the Minister of State into the House and join in the tributes to the Cathaoirleach for his work on this legislation. As a councillor receiving his many letters on ISL over previous years, it was excellent. Today we see the fruits of that labour and it is important we acknowledge the Cathaoirleach as the person who has driven this through the Houses of the Oireachtas. I congratulate him on that.

I will mention a couple of people and groups the Cathaoirleach will be familiar with. I wish to highlight the work of a fantastic community group in my home town, Athy, which has made it its business to teach Irish Sign Language to children, teenagers and adults in a fun and friendly way. The Athy Sing and Sign Club was founded in 2005 by Aiden McHugh. In 2007 the club was joined by its teacher, Maggie Owens. She is a brilliant and inspirational community campaigner who has instilled a love of the Irish Sign Language in the people of Athy and its surrounds. The club has performed on television, in musicals and on stage.

I have had the pleasure of supporting many of its members in completing QQI levels 3 and 4 in ISL with the Irish Deaf Society. Recently one of its members, Aoife Harrington, qualified as an ISL interpreter following four years of study through the Centre for Deaf Studies in Trinity College. The group and its committee of Maggie, Majella, Linda, Breda and Mary produce an annual ISL booklet and hold an annual ISL festival in the town which is always well supported and remains one of the highlights of the yearly calendar of events in Athy. They are also involved in every civic and community function and event held in the town.

I will finish by highlighting the club's mission, which is to provide a supportive and positive learning environment in which all individual members have the opportunity to develop their ISL skills and learn about deaf culture and the deaf community. Their members will also get an opportunity to develop their leadership skills in a youth-friendly environment which, in turn, leads to self-confidence and personal growth. Athy Sing and Sign is a group of which we are rightly proud of in Athy and which has rightly put ISL to the forefront of our thoughts and actions. Long may that continue.