Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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171. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 149 of 25 May 2022, the details of any interim reports that were received during the drafting of the report on the operation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017; his plans for the publication of the interim reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28512/22]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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172. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 149 of 25 May 2022, the details of any engagement that his Department has had with an organisation (details supplied) to date in 2022, as part of his Department’s consideration of the recommendations of the report on the operation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28513/22]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 172 together.

The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 was signed into law on 24th December 2017 and I commenced the Act jointly with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in December 2020.

The Act recognises the right of the Deaf community to use Irish Sign Language (ISL) as their native language. The Act creates obligations for the public sector regarding the provision of ISL. In addition, the Act provides for specific duties and obligations in the areas of legal proceedings, educational provision and broadcasting.

Implementing the Irish Sign Language Act requires a whole of government approach. As such, all public bodies have obligations to fulfill. My Department has an important role to play in monitoring the implementation of the Act to ensure that users of Irish Sign Language have equal access to the services of the State and equal opportunities to achieve their full potential.

Section 10 of the Act requires a report on the operation of the Act to be produced, initially three years after enactment and every five years thereafter. These reports must be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. 

In line with these requirements, the National Disability Authority (NDA) was commissioned to produce the first report on the operation of the Act.

My department is advised on a regular basis by the NDA on a range disability issues. This engagement has included the development and status of the ISL Report.

No interim report on the operation of the ISL Act was received by my Department, as the request made to the NDA was for a single comprehensive report. In the course of preparing the final version of the Report, drafts were received and observations were sought from relevant departments and public bodies. The final version of the report has now been finalised and formally submitted.

The NDA Report is now receiving detailed consideration within my Department. As the recommendations of the Report affect a wide range of organisations, it has been necessary to consider the whole of Government implications arising. I intend to publish the report at the earliest possible opportunity.