Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if Irish sign language will be given official status in legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11562/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are no plans to provide legislation in the context of Irish sign language, ISL, at present.

However, I wish to advise the Deputy that ISL has formal recognition in the Education Act 1998. Under the Act, it is a function of the Minister for Education and Science to ensure, subject to the provisions of the Act, that there is made available to each person resident in the State, including a person with a disability or who has other special educational needs, support services and a level and quality of education appropriate to meeting the needs and abilities of that person. This includes provision for students learning through ISL.

A number of initiatives which seek to promote, develop and implement ISL in order that it will achieve greater recognition and use in the education system are currently in place. These include the special schools for the deaf in Cabra, Dublin, which have been encouraged in relation to the use of sign language in class. All teachers now receive ongoing in-service training in the use of ISL. My Department has provided funding for an ISL weekly home tuition service whereby deaf tutors visit the homes of deaf pre-school children and deaf school-going pupils to provide training in ISL for the deaf children-pupils, their siblings and parents. My Department has sanctioned a pre-school for deaf children on a pilot basis. Programmes are delivered through the medium of ISL as a first language. My Department through the Higher Education Authority, HSA, has established and fully funds a Centre for Deaf Studies in Trinity College, Dublin which provides diploma courses for ISL-English interpreters, deaf tutors and in deaf studies.

My officials are willing to meet with representatives of the organisation in question in the context of its letter to my Department and contact will be made with the writer shortly.