Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021
424. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way in which his Department and agencies under his remit are meeting obligations under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17432/21]
View answerMy Department is committed to meeting all of its statutory obligations and providing the best possible service to relevant stakeholders. Due to the nature of its role, my Department does not generally provide services directly to the public or to businesses. The Department is currently in the process of completing a survey issued by the National Disability Authority on the operation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 and will follow up on any actions arising from this.
I am advised of the following with regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department:
Office of Public Works
The steps taken by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in this regard include:
- Provision of interpretation to persons seeking to avail of, or access, services through Irish Sign Language (ISL);
- Provision of ISL tours at Heritage sites upon request. OPW also run a programme of scheduled ISL tours throughout the year on certain sites. In addition, the interpretation service upload an ISL video promoting the tour on the ISL vlogs and films Facebook page, where possible;
- ISL interpreters engaged by the OPW are accredited in accordance with the accreditation scheme funded by the Minister for Social Protection; and
- Training provided to OPW staff including Deaf Awareness Training and National Disability Authority (NDA) disability awareness training. Specific training on communicating with persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and or persons whose first language is ISL along with funding for employees to attend ISL classes.
Public Appointments Service
The Public Appointments Service (PAS) has provided Irish Sign Language users with free interpretation when availing of PAS services (i.e. attending for assessments, including interviews, where required) prior to the enactment of this legislation. PAS recently launched its ED&I Strategy and used a web-based translation service for all contributions. A full-time Disability Champion is on staff who service users (mainly prospective candidates) can contact to receive information about the supports PAS has in place to ensure that services are accessible to all. PAS staff are provided with Disability Awareness Training, including training provided by the NDA and Rehab. PAS is currently developing its own Disability Awareness Training for selection board members and staff.
National Shared Services Office
The National Shared Services Office (NSSO) is currently studying its obligations under the Act and considering the required next steps. The NSSO only provides services to Civil and Public Servants rather than the general public. All of its services can be accessed via email or webpages, and there have no requests to date for Irish Sign Language interpretation.
Office of the Ombudsman
As it currently stands, the Office of the Ombudsman has one staff member certified at Irish Sign Language QQI Award Level 4. Certification at this level provides a degree of fluency and an ability to engage in conversation with Irish Sign Language signers. A second staff member has also recently been identified for training in Irish Sign Language. They are currently enrolled in Irish Sign Language QQI Award Level 3. It is envisaged that, over time, these staff members will act as the first point of contact for any service users who look to engage through Irish Sign Language. A review is also underway of the Office’s need to engage external Irish Sign Language services than can be employed quickly when required.
Once this is complete, an Irish Sign Language Policy will be drafted. This will outline the obligations under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, the services available to customers and how they can avail of these. Once finalised, this will be published on each of the Office's websites. Relevant training on the policy will also be provided to any staff in a customer facing role.
Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery
The Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) does not provide any “statutory entitlements or services” as set out in Section 6(1) of the Act. Therefore, the public body duties under the Irish Sign Language Act do not apply to the ORNL.
State Laboratory
The State Laboratory provides a comprehensive analytical chemistry and advisory service to Government Departments and Offices. Therefore, the public body duties under the Irish Sign Language Act do not apply to the State Laboratory.
