Senator’s bill gets full backing

MARK DALY BECOMES SIXTH SENATOR IN OPPOSITION TO GET BILL INTO LAW

FIANNA Fáil Senator Mark Daly is to become just the sixth opposition senator to have a bill passed into law in a piece of legislation set to finally recognise Irish Sign Language as an official State language.

Once enacted the bill will force the State to provide services in the sign language for the 50,000 members of the deaf community in the country. Senator Daly said deaf community members’ civil rights will move ‘ one step closer to being vindicated’ when the Recognition of Irish Sign Language for the Deaf Community Bill passes both houses of the Oireachtas.

“It goes against the very spirit of what a republic means that so many of our citizens are disenfranchised in the way members of the Irish Deaf Community are treated by the State. Irish deaf citizens should be able to access State services in their own language. In addition, it puts an onus onto State agencies such as hospitals, schools and the Courts to make services available for the Irish deaf community,” Senator Daly said.

It’s an act that will help to end what the Oireachtas Justice committee described in its report on the bill as the ‘extreme marginalisation’ of the deaf community. “This bill has been hard fought and the rights that it will give members of the Irish deaf community have been hard won. At various stages, there was significant opposition from the Government benches, but thankfully they saw sense, and realised that this bill is good for society and good for Irish deaf citizens,” the Senator said. It is expected President Higgins will sign the bill into law before Christmas.