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THE IRISH SIGN Language Act is “not operating as intended”, implementation is “poor across most sections”, and these shortcomings need to be remedied at the “earliest opportunity”.
These were among the findings of the first report on the implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act (2017).
The Irish Sign Language Act “recognises the right of the Deaf community to use ISL as their native language and to use, develop and preserve it”.
Irish Sign Language is the sign language used by the majority of the deaf community in Ireland.
The Act also “places a duty on all public bodies to provide ISL speakers with free interpretation when availing of or seeking to access statutory entitlements and service”.
There are further obligations within the areas of legal proceedings, educational provision and broadcasting.
Under the Act, an implementation report covering the three years following enactment is required, and subsequent implementation reports are required every five years thereafter.
However, there was a delay in this report being published “due to a legal matter”.
The most widely applicable section of the Act relates to the duty of public bodies to provide access to public services through ISL when requested.
However, the report found that many public bodies appeared unprepared for the activities needed to achieve compliance” with the Act and that “considerable effort” is now required.
Just over three quarters (77%) of public bodies responded to the report’s public body survey.
Of those that responded, 31% were not aware of the ISL Act prior to the survey, while 20% were aware of the Act but not of their responsibilities under it.
36% of public bodies that responded to the survey considered themselves to be in full compliance with the Act.
The report notes that these findings are reflected in the poor feedback from the public – just 5% rated access to public services through ISL as “good”.
Given the “widespread underperformance” of public bodies, the report recommended that “standard procedures for access to services through ISL be developed and published in and that ISL accessible complaints mechanisms be established”.
The report also recommended that public bodies should be required to “publish ISL action plans with clear timeframes for when they will be compliant”.
Access to accredited ISL interpreters was also flagged as an issue, with the report noting that supplied of accredited interpreters has “remained very low since 2017”.
“Significant gaps” were also noted in the area of education and the report called for “urgent action” to be taken to ensure children whose primary language is ISL can achieve their full potential “in school and beyond”.
The report found that there has been “ no action to ensure a sufficient number of higher education placements for ISL training of teachers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, nor any action to set minimum qualifications for these teachers”.
The report also highlighted “room for a number of changes” within broadcasting.
It noted how programmes with ISL are “predominantly broadcasted during sleeping hours” and called for a review of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) Access Rules to “support equality, dignity and respect in ISL broadcasting”.
Elsewhere, the criminal courts were acknowledged as being able to provide ISL interpretation as needed, but the report noted a “lack of preparation for the commencement of the Act” by the civil courts.
Overall, the report concluded that the “implementation by public bodies and access to services through ISL is currently well below the expectations of the legislation”.
It also made “high priority” recommendations in addressing ISL interpreter supply, awareness of the Act among public bodies, and ensuring the provision of ISL supports for children in school.
Other high priority recommendations included providing ISL programming between the hours of 7am and 1am and ensuring that the complaints mechanisms is accessible to ISL users.
Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman welcomed the report and acknowledged that it “clearly indicates that we have work to do”.
He added that he is “committed to ensuring that we will fully consider the recommendations made in the report, which are derived from the lived experiences of ISL users”.
He said this will “can ensure that the Act is implemented comprehensively and as soon as possible”.
O’Gorman also said that the “Covid-19 pandemic interrupted plans for the full implementation of the Act”, but added that there are now “clear and meaningful recommendations to ensure that we progress implementation of the Act”.
Minister of State with responsibility for Disability Anne Rabbitte also welcomed the report, saying: “It tells us what users of ISL have known for a long time, which is that we need to do much more to ensure that ISL users are supported in accessing their statutory entitlements.”
She added: “There is a significant amount of work to be done in the immediate period ahead and I am committed to making sure that this work is accomplished as soon as possible.
“Through the evidence provided in the report, we now know exactly what we need to do next as a matter of priority.”
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It would also be good if the government overhauled how it’s taught in our schools so people could learn how to speak it properly.
@johnbunton: Too right! Irish should be taught the same way as French or German, for example. Prose and poetry should be made optional for those who want to do it and these should be done in separate classes. Knowledge of the language should be prioritised first and foremost.
@johnbunton: it has been. 40% oral.
@Ken Loughman: I’m a fluent speaker and got top marks in LC Irish and I completely agree. Seperate language and literature papers, leave language as compulsory and have literature as an option. It’s hardly fair to those who struggle (either with languages in general or specifically with Irish) to be expected to have an in depth knowledge of the poems, plays etc if they’re finding it hard to grasp the actual language itself. Plus it’ll also benefit those who do have strong Irish as they’ll have another optional subject they can be confident in.
@Frainc Ó Broin: it’s still not enough in my opinion. Students all across Europe students are fluent in at least two languages. We start learning Irish at the age of 5 and stop at age of 17 or 18 and most people still don’t have a clue outside the set oral spiel we all have to give. There’s something very wrong with the system when you could get an A or B in higher level Irish and not be a fluent speaker at the end of it.
@Ebony: I based my comment on my own experience in secondary school. While I enjoyed learning the grammar I hated the prose and poetry. It serves absolutely no purpose for everyday situations in the 21st Century.
I should add that one of my great-grandmothers from Mayo was a native speaker and my Dad was fluent when he was younger. I regret not being fluent myself considering those connections to the language in my family. Still, there’s always Duolingo…
@Ken Loughman: It’s miles better than it was, at least at primary level. At least I think it is. My 7yo regularly comes out with a long mellifluous spiel, most of which I don’t understand.
@Ken Loughman: And how well do most Irish school leavers speak French or German ? Would a monolingual native speaker understand them or vv?
@Gearóid ÓCiaráin: Well, I speak both pretty well. I can guarantee you that school leavers who did French or German have a better chance of being able to use them in everyday situations than they would with Irish. That’s the whole problem with how Irish is being taught.
@johnbunton: it’s not how it’s taught – it’s whether or not people want to learn it – unfortunately most people don’t
@johnbunton: I think it’s also a matter of exposure. Any non-native English speakers who are fluent in English grew up watching the same films and listening to the same music as us – all in English!
@johnbunton: let’s gets teachers that engage with teachers first. My own personal experience is no interaction and Peig.
@Ken Loughman: very true im a fluent irish speaker and definitely the time spent learning poetry etc be better spent actually learning the language u don’t do french poetry or german to learn them
@johnbunton: what’s wrong with a big stick
@Thomas Harrington:I would argue that the way Irish is being taught, i.e. having to do prose and poetry at the same time instead of concentrating on the language itself, is one of the reasons why people don’t want to learn it.
The Clondalkin Irish scene is vibrant thanks in part to great work by those who established Aras Chronain. It’s worth a visit even if all you order is a Pionta, le do thol
Faoi dheireadh Caithfidh muid a bheith dóchasach go dtarlóidh sé mar a deireann siad
@Séan Ó Nuanáin: i hope to at some point be that good at irish like you. Started a course to get myself back to a decent level of irish again as i was quiet good at it in school. It all starts coming back to me the more im at it.
@shellakybooky: maybe you should start learning English first so you can be quite good at Irish.
#PrayForArlene
Irish was a complete waste of time in my secondary school. We did double Irish classes just to pass an exam but never learned how to really speak or understand real Irish
@Stipe Miocic: its sad isn’t it? I could start quoting Irish poetry to you but I haven’t a clue how to go about ordering a meal in a restaurant, buying cinema tickets etc in Irish. these are basic things you learn when you start learning another language so you feel confident speaking it. because of Polish friends who don’t treat me as an inferior species because I can’t speak the language I can speak more Polish than Irish &quite happily use it in Poland/ with Poles
@Stipe Miocic: and the fault lies with?
Arlene, will choke on her cornflakes.
Welcome to the the 21st century, where personal choice is welcomed, now to LGBT equality/rights
This entire sham is put into perspective when areas such as Clondalkin and Ennis are included.
@Adam Reid: Clondalkin has a thriving Gaelscoil. The area has a deep cultural interest and is steeped in history. The round tower garden was recently renovated and there’s a good buzz about the village. No better place to enthuse people of all ages to get involved in learning, or relearning their native language…. And of course they have Eoin Ó Broin and Lyn Boylan who do Trojan work in and for the area.
@Paul Linehan: Clondalkin has a chip shop; how many residents eat chips there?
@Adam Reid: Clondalkin also has Indian, Pizza and Chinese takeaways…. So I’m going to presume that they have choices!!!
Is fuath liom Gaeilge. D’fhéach fir brónach i gúnaí dubh a ghlac pléisiúr orthu siúd a bhí ag obair go rialta ag daoine nach bhfuaimnigh Éire mar a cheap siad gur chóir é a labhairt.
So what did we need an Irish Language Act for if we can just do this?
Seems almost like someone was trying to be antagonistic, when this could be sorted out in such a more graceful manner.
@alphanautica: Some people may have become addicted to drama, publicity and ‘historic moments’.
@Brendan O’Brien: You mean like the Majority of People in the North?? because thats who want an ILA.
So, incremental progress can be made through common sense.
Surely better than an all-or-nothing stand-off between massive tribal egos.
Do the DUP know this. ??
Proud to be Irish but Irish isn’t good for business……just saying
Stupid language
@Gearoid De Burca: Yes, English is a stupid language with everything backwards in comparison to rich languages like Irish.
@eastsmer: Irish speaking areas are full of people born with a sod of turf in their mouth.
@Gearoid De Burca: from the sounds of things, you were born with a sod of sh**e in yours.
@Gearoid De Burca: Hi Arlene!
@Gearoid De Burca: Coming from a person with an Irish name!
@Gearoid De Burca: Anyone who calls a language, any language, stupid is an ignoramus.
@Gearoid De Burca: you’re not much better obviously…..
@Leadóg: I just called it stupid
@Gearoid De Burca: With a name like yours..???
What planet are you on..
@Gearoid De Burca: At least its Irish turf.
@Gearoid De Burca: bitter that you were sh!te at Irish in school eh, Gerry Burke?
@Laura: You bite… You eat the same shite. So just grin with a wide one and except you’ve improved by at least on the higher intelligence ladder!!!
G
An Ghaeltacht should be a place where ”Native” Gaeilge is spoken or else change it to Gaeltacht Dhúchasach for example. Places like those mentioned in the article above could then use An Ghaeltacht.
Difference according to the article is that it covers only a handful of Gaeltacht areas and doesn’t supply any funding. ILA (I think) covers all areas with majority Irish populations and restores some funding that was previously cut.
have your say