Sir, – I refer to a recent decision by Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan to cease providing funding for the National Advocacy Service for deaf people under the aegis of the Irish Deaf Society.
The decision defies logic. Indeed, as one of the original creators of this service, I am baffled by it.
The decision was apparently based on a criterion that obliged voluntary organisations to compete with each other for vital funding, rendering any uniqueness that a service may have irrelevant.
This particular service is run by peer advocates and is a space where deaf people can receive various services through their first language – Irish Sign Language – and is unique in this country.
Investment in this service saved a considerable amount of money on the interpreting fees that would be required if the service users had to avail of mainstream services.
Last January, the Government rejected the Irish Sign Language Bill that came before Seanad Éireann. Minister of State for Disability Kathleen Lynch delivered a statement on behalf of the Government that said it could not support the Bill as “We need to put the service in place before we put the legislation in place”.
Given this most recent decision, the statement seems hollow and an empty promise to many of us in the deaf community, although perhaps it reflects a lack of interdepartmental coordination.
I hope that the Minister will heed this appeal and act in a favourable manner. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN BOSCO CONAMA,
Ely Green,
Oldcourt Road,
Dublin 24.