Irish Sign Language Act 2017
| 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 | |
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.
Background
[edit | edit source]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 criticised 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
[edit | edit source]The law commenced on 23 December 2020.
Impact
[edit | edit source]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
[edit | edit source]- Sign Language Bill (Northern Ireland)
- British Sign Language Act 2022
- Accessible Canada Act
- New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006
References
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