Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 January 2023
952. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if regulations are currently being drafted as per section 9 of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, following the pilot scheme in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63434/22]
View answer958. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the publication of the ‘Operation of the ISL Act’ report; if the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 ‘voucher scheme’ will be implemented on a full-time basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63526/22]
View answer961. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeframe for the introduction of a permanent Irish sign language voucher scheme; if he will report on the pilot voucher scheme that ran in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63737/22]
View answer964. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on the timeline for the publication of the operation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017; if he will establish the voucher scheme system for the funding of interpretation on a permanent basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63740/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 952, 958, 961 and 964 together.
The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 (ISL Act 2017) was signed into law on 24th December 2017 and the Act was commenced jointly by myself as Minister of State with Responsibility for Disability and Minister Roderic O’Gorman T.D. as the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, on 23rd December 2020, following the transfer of equality functions from the Minister for Justice.
The Act recognises the right of ISL users to use ISL as their native language, and to develop and preserve it. In addition to specific obligations on named Ministers, the Act places a statutory duty on all public bodies to provide ISL users with free ISL interpretation when availing of or seeking to access statutory entitlements and services provided by or under statute. Implementing the Act requires a whole of government approach and as such all public bodies have obligations to fulfil.
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. These reports must be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
In line with these requirements, the National Disability Authority (NDA) were commissioned to produce the first report on the operation of the Act. A draft Report was submitted to me in mid-2021, and subsequently circulated to departments and agencies for observations and to ensure accuracy in the preparation of a final version. The Report was finalised in late 2021.
There was a delay in publishing the first report on the operation of the ISL Act to avoid prejudicing an ongoing legal matter. However, publication of the report was kept under review throughout 2022. Following engagement between my department and other relevant departments it was determined that publication could now occur without prejudicing the legal matter which remains ongoing.
The Report was laid before the Houses on 12 January 2023 and published on the website of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth on 13 January 2023.
The first report on the operation of the ISL Act contains recommendations to strengthen the implementation of the ISL Act, and a whole of Government approach will be required in considering next steps in this regard.
Section 9 of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 gives power to the Minister for Social Protection to establish a support scheme to allow access for ISL users to free interpretation to access events, services, and activities. In 2021, the Citizens Information Board (CIB) and the Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS) launched a pilot project, supported by the Department of Social Protection, which involved the creation of a Voucher Scheme for users of Irish Sign Language (ISL) to access free ISL interpreting for social, educational and cultural events and services (including medical services) and other activities.
Initially, it was planned that the Irish Sign Language (ISL) Voucher Scheme Pilot Project 2021 would run for a 3-month period, from 30 June 2021 to 30 September 2021. However, an additional month (October 2021) was subsequently added. An evaluation of the pilot was completed in July 2022, commissioned by CIB. Findings from the evaluation are under consideration by the Department of Social Protection and will form part of any future voucher scheme. There are no regulations currently under development relating to Section 9 of the Act. CIB is currently exploring with SLIS possible options as to how a Voucher Scheme can be rolled out, using lessons from the pilot. The Minister for Social Protection, as the Minister responsible for s. 9, can provide any further detail on this matter that may be required.
