Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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747. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will report on the implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 by her Department and by agencies which operate under the remit of her Department. [8246/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Rural and Community Developmentwas established on 19^thJuly 2017 to provide a renewed and consolidated focus on rural and community development in Ireland.

My Department is strongly committed to meeting our obligations under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017. The Department recognises Irish Sign Language and the right of the Irish Sign Language community to use, preserve and develop the language. In line with Section 6 and 7 of the Act, my Department will do all that is reasonable to ensure that suitably accredited interpretation into Irish Sign Language is provided free of charge to Irish Sign Language users who cannot hear or understand English or Irish, when they are seeking to avail of, or access, statutory entitlements or services provided by or under statute.

My Department has appointed an Access Officer who is responsible for securing assistance within the Department to meet any needs raised by people with disabilities in accessing our services.

Contact details for the Department's Access Officer are listed on my Department's website.

Section 10 of the Act requires that a report on the operation of the Act be prepared three years after enactment and every five years thereafter. I can confirm that my Department and the organisations under the aegis of the Department have completed the National Disability Authority’s (NDA) survey to confirm obligations are met under Section 6 and Section 7 of the Act.

The following information is provided in relation to the agencies under my Department's aegis:

Pobal

Pobal has processes in place to accommodate requests or do all that is reasonable to provide free Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation for ISL users. The Pobal Access Officer is available to provide or coordinate assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities accessing the services provided by Pobal.

Water Safety Ireland

Water Safety Ireland (WSI) recognises ISL as an official language and in accordance with the ISL Act, WSI ensures that interpretation into Irish Sign Language is available for any person requesting same. Although no requests have been received to date, this will be expedited through accredited ISL interpreters listed in the Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters. A WSI staff member is also undertaking an ISL course so that the organisation will have an accredited individual in-house to answer ISL requests about accessing its services.

Charities Regulator

The Charities Regulator is committed to providing its services in an accessible manner, including fulfilling its duty as a public body under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017. It will provide interpretation into Irish Sign Language when it is requested. For key events/webinars relating to significant changes or developments, it will also provide sign language interpretation, for example the launch in November 2022 of the new classification standard for charities.

The Regulator’s website is the primary channel of information and guidance on matters related to compliance with charity law and the Charities Governance Code. Information is provided in a written form for the most part. It has a small number of videos, which supplement this information, and they are currently being reviewed from an accessibility perspective.

Western Development Commission (WDC)

The WDC is aware of the requirements of public bodies under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 and will further strengthen its focus on meeting those requirements in 2023.

The WDC is prioritising the following activities listed in Q1-Q2 2023:

- Accessibility of online service via

- Ring fenced budgets to allow access to public services through ISL, including provision of ISL interpreting

- Development of clear staff procedures for sourcing and arranging interpretation to persons seeking to avail of, or access, services through ISL

- Review of need for training or initiatives to relevant staff to support the implementation of the ISL Act