Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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239. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 (ISL) within her Department and its associated public bodies, including details of any ISL strategies that have been developed; and if no ISL strategy has been developed to date, the details of plans her Department has to address this gap in the near future. [17974/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 gave legal recognition to Irish Sign Language as a language in its own right, with “Irish Sign Language” meaning the sign language used by the majority of the deaf community of the State.

Accessibility is a key concern for my Department and my Department provides sign language interpretation, and/or sign language videos, as needed when engaging with ISL users and seeks to ensure that, as a matter of course, information and services are as accessible as possible.

Rights under the ISL Act 2017 will be further progressed under the upcoming National Disability Strategy, which will be the overarching strategic policy framework across government. Officials from my department are currently engaging closely with key stakeholders, including Disabled Persons' Organisations, on the development of actions the National Disability Strategy, aimed at furthering the rights of ISL users.

Regarding the implementation of specific obligations falling to my remit under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, Section 10 of the Act places an obligation on the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to report on its operation, 3 years from commencement and every 5 years thereafter.

The Act states that this report must include an assessment of:

• whether any amendments to the scope and contents of the Act are necessary or desirable
• whether additional provisions need to be made in relation to supports for a child within the school system whose primary language is ISL and
• the qualifications for the minimum level of ISL competency for persons who are teaching a child whose primary language is ISL
• The Act further requires that persons or organisations representative of the interests of the members of the deaf community are consulted on the matters to be considered in the report.

I am aware of the requirement for the next report, for completion 5 years post commencement, and can confirm that it will be commissioned and completed in keeping with the timeframes stipulated by the Act. This will inform a broader body of work focussed on improving access to interpretation services and ensuring ISL users can actively participate in all aspects of society.