The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 (Act No. 13 of 2017; previously Bill No. 40 of 2017) is an Act of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) which gives Irish Sign Language official legal status.
| Irish Sign Language Act 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Oireachtas | |
| |
| Citation | No. 40 of 2017 |
| Territorial extent | Ireland |
| Passed by | Dáil |
| Passed | 17 October 2017 |
| Passed by | Seanad |
| Passed | 14 December 2017 |
| Signed by | President Michael D. Higgins |
| Signed | 24 December 2017 |
| Commenced | Commenced: 23 December 2020 |
| Legislative history | |
| First chamber: Dáil | |
| Bill title | Irish Sign Language Bill 2016 |
| Bill citation | No. 78 of 2016 |
| Introduced by | Minister for Health (Stephen Donnelly) |
| Introduced | 29 January 2023 |
| Committee responsible | Health |
| First reading | 21 July 2016 |
| Second reading | 21 June 2017 |
| Considered by the Health Committee | 17 October 2017 |
| Report and Final Stage | 17 October 2017 |
| Second chamber: Seanad | |
| Second reading | 14 December 2017 |
| Considered in committee | 14 December 2017 |
| Report and Final Stage | 14 December 2017 |
| Final stages | |
| Seanad amendments considered by the Dáil | 14 December 2017 |
| Finally passed both chambers | 14 December 2017 |
| Summary | |
| Recognises Irish Sign Language with official legal status | |
| Status: In force | |
Background
editBroadly, 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
editThe law commenced on 23 December 2020.
Impact
editOne 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
editReferences
edit- ^ "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
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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".
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