Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 February 2026
77. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the programme for Government commitment to provide in-house Irish Sign Language interpreters in deaf education settings; if not, the reason this commitment has not yet been implemented; if she will provide a clear timeline for delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12996/26]
View answer78. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department recognises the distinction between ISL special class support, ISL SCS, posts and dedicated in-house ISL interpreter roles; if she will confirm that ISL SCS posts will not be treated as a substitute for interpreter provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12997/26]
View answer79. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has assessed the impact on deaf teachers and school staff of the absence of in house ISL interpreters; if she accepts that reliance on ad hoc or external interpreters undermines equal staff participation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12998/26]
View answer80. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Youth in light of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, if the continued absence of in house ISL interpreter provision in deaf schools can be reconciled with the State’s obligations; the steps taken to fill these absences; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12999/26]
View answer81. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which current practice in deaf education settings aligns with Ireland’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13000/26]
View answer82. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Youth the cost to her Department of schools having to hire external ISL interpreters, by month for each of the years 2021 to 2025, inclusive, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13001/26]
View answer83. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has examined a centralised in-house Department staffing model for ISL interpreters; and if so, if she will provide the findings of any such analysis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13002/26]
View answer84. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list the engagements, by date with deaf schools she has had in relation to the provision of ISL interpreters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13003/26]
View answer85. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list the engagements, by date with deaf-led organisations, ISL interpreters, or deaf education stakeholders regarding ISL interpreter roles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13004/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 77 to 85, inclusive, together.
I am acutely aware of the additional financial burden on special schools for the deaf and mainstream schools with a special class for deaf students in providing Irish Sign Language (ISL) Interpretation services to support the educational needs of students whose primary mode of communication is ISL.
Funding has been allocated by my Department to cover these additional costs and my officials are currently engaging with the NCSE to develop a mechanism to provide this funding in a fair and equitable manner.
I expect to be in a position to confirm how schools can apply for this funding in the coming weeks and I will update the Deputy once a mechanism has been agreed.
