Ireland

Legal Recognition

NEW: 14 DECEMBER 2017

LEGISLATION THAT WILL give official recognition to Irish Sign Language for the first time passed all stages in the Dáil today."

"Bill entitled An Act to provide for the recognition of Irish Sign Language and for that purpose

to set down principles to guide the operations of public bodies;
to require public bodies to prepare and implement action plans on Irish Sign Language;
to provide for classes for the parents of deaf children;
to permit the use of Irish Sign Language in legal proceedings;
to provide for the making available of sign language interpreting services;
to introduce statutory targets regarding the accessibility of television programming;
to provide for the regulation of Irish Sign Language interpreters, deaf interpreters and Irish Sign Language teachers and for that purpose to establish the Irish Sign Language Council;
to provide for the establishment of registers;
to provide for continuing education requirements;
to provide for offences;
to amend the Broadcasting Act 2009;
and to provide for related matters."

OLD situation:

Sign Language Legislation in the European Union", Wheatley, M., A. Pabsch., Edition II. Brussels, EUD, 2012:

"The only reference to sign language in a legal document in Ireland is in the Education Act (1998). the Education Act does not recognise Irish Sign Langauge as a language in its own right but Article 7(1) says that support services need to be made available to each person to ensure 'quality of education appropriate to meeting the needs and abilities of that person'. Support services are further explained in Article 2(1), which states that these services shall include:
(e) provision for students learning through Irish sign language or other sign language, including interpreting services;--".
The law is not binding - it recommends rather than obliges educational institutions to provide education in Irish Sign Language. It is worth noting that ISL is mentioned along with 'other sign languages', although ISL is predominantly used in Ireland."

Wikipedia:

"There is no official recognition of Irish Sign Language yet. However, there have been calls to make Irish Sign Language the third official language in Ireland, after Irish and English, which would require an amendment to the constitution - which can only happen via a referendum."

Number of Deaf Sign Language Users

National Sign Language (Research) Centres

More info.

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