Irish Sign Language Act 2017

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Irish Sign Language Act 2017
Coat of arms of Ireland.svg
Oireachtas
  • An Act to provide for the recognition of Irish Sign Language, its use in legal proceedings and the provision of interpretation into Irish Sign Language by public bodies and to provide for related matters.
Citation No. 40 of 2017
Territorial extent Ireland
Passed by Dáil
Passed17 October 2017
Passed by Seanad
Passed14 December 2017
Signed by President Michael D. Higgins
Signed24 December 2017
CommencedCommenced:
23 December 2020
Legislative history
First chamber: Dáil
Bill titleIrish Sign Language Bill 2016
Bill citation No. 78 of 2016
Introduced by Minister for Health (Stephen Donnelly)
Introduced29 January 2023
Committee responsible Health
First reading 21 July 2016
Second reading 21 June 2017
Considered by the Health Committee17 October 2017
Report and Final Stage17 October 2017
Second chamber: Seanad
Second reading14 December 2017
Considered in committee14 December 2017
Report and Final Stage14 December 2017
Final stages
Seanad amendments considered by the Dáil 14 December 2017
Finally passed both chambers14 December 2017
Summary
Recognises Irish Sign Language with official legal status
Status: In force

The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 (Act No. 13 of 2024; previously Bill No. 40 of 2017) is an Act of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) which gives Irish Sign Language official legal status.

Contents

Background

Broadly, before the bill was passed there were large swathes of public services that were inaccessible to deaf people.

In 2015, it was noted by Mental Health Reform that unless a user of mental health services books an interpreter in advance, there is no way to communicate this in advance. [1]

In 2017, the Citizens Information Board published a report criticising a lack of interpreters in public organisations as undermining of the self-worth of deaf people and quite possibly clinically dangerous in a medical context due to the possibility of a misunderstanding leading to significant clinical risk. [2]

In 2020, primary education was cricitised as extremely exclusionary and inaccessible to deaf children. [3]

The campaign for Irish Sign Language to gain legal recognition took 35 years from the start of the campaign to commencement. [4]

Commencement of the law

The law commenced on 23 December 2020.

Impact

One year after commencement, according to a report by the National Disability Authority into the operation of the law, awareness among public bodies about there was very low. [5] The Irish Government delayed publication by 1 year due to an "ongoing legal issue". [6]

See also

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References

  1. "Briefing note: Mental health services and supports for people who are Deaf" (PDF). Mental Health Reform. Mental Health Reform. 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2024. A lack of appropriate communication between mental health professionals and people who are Deaf. DeafHear reports that unless an interpreter has been booked, the Deaf person has no means of communicating with the mental health professional
  2. "Information provision and access to public and social services for the Deaf Community" (PDF). Citizens Information Board. Citizens Information Board. 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2024. As the vast majority of public organisations do not currently provide ISL interpreting services, Deaf people must use family, friends, neighbours and Deaf support organisations to translate for them. Having to rely on their own family members such as teenage sons or daughters to translate on their behalf undermines their self-worth and their sense of equal participation in society. Where a Deaf person has to use a non-professional interpreter during a consultation with a doctor or medical consultant, there is a real danger that miscommunication could expose them to a significant clinical risk.
  3. Mathews, Elizabeth (2020). "Signs of Equity: Access to Teacher Education for Deaf Students in the Republic of Ireland". Sign Language Studies. 21 (1): 68–97. doi:10.1353/sls.2020.0029.
  4. Bosco Conama, John (10 August 2020). Herrmann, Annika; Steinbach, Markus; Zeshan, Ulrike (eds.). Sign Language Ideologies in Practice. Berlin, Germany: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 265–283. doi:10.1515/9781501510090-014. ISBN   9781501510090.
  5. National Disability Authority (2021). Report on the Operation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017: Executive Summary (PDF) (Report). National Disability Authority. p. 2. Retrieved 18 July 2024. The lack of awareness among many public bodies of the ISL Act and their responsibilities under the Act is reflected in the findings from the survey of the public where just 5% rated access to public services through ISL as good. Public feedback on access to services through ISL focused on potential improvements in relation to healthcare, policing, culture, politics, broadcasting, education and early childhood care.
  6. Conneely, Ailbhe (14 December 2022). "Report into ISL Act implementation delayed over criticism of bodies - charity". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Retrieved 18 July 2024. Minister of State with responsibility for Disability Anne Rabbitte confirmed in a written parliamentary reply that "a decision was made to delay publication arising from an ongoing legal matter".