To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on the development of sign language legislation.

Mr Lyons

I am committed to ensuring that members of the deaf community have the same rights and opportunities as those in the hearing community and are able to access services in their own language. I am aware that profoundly deaf people consider themselves part of a cultural and linguistic minority group rather than a disability group and that they view their sign language as their language of need. Sign language users, like many other minority language users, cannot necessarily read or understand information on government websites, printed leaflets and various types of literature. One of the most pressing issues to be addressed in order to ensure accessibility and fuller social integration for the deaf community in Northern Ireland, therefore, is an increase in the supply of professionally trained and appropriately accredited interpreters. In order to address the current need for more British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreters, my Department is funding Foyle Deaf Association, which is a deaf-led sign language teaching centre in Londonderry, to provide an interpreter training programme to boost capacity. My officials are also exploring options with the Centre for Translation and Interpreting at Queen's University in order to provide an academic route to qualification as an interpreter, further increase capacity and expertise and future-proof a sustainable supply of interpreters. On legislation specifically, my officials have been engaging with key stakeholders, which include the deaf community and their representatives, to develop the policy to inform the drafting of clauses for legislation. As a result of that consultation, I am pleased to confirm that I intend to seek Executive approval to introduce a sign language Bill to the Assembly at the earliest opportunity.

I also intend to seek the resources to put in place the infrastructure necessary to deliver on the intent of the legislation.

Mr Lyons

I am grateful to the Member. I share her frustration at the time that it has taken to progress this. In the past number of years, we have seen sign language legislation introduced in the rest of the UK, and there is provision in the Republic of Ireland. I believe that the legislation could have a significantly positive and hugely beneficial impact on the deaf community in Northern Ireland, and I look forward to delivering that for those across Northern Ireland who will benefit. It is certainly one of my priorities for my time in office.

Mr Gildernew

I take the opportunity to welcome the Minister to his role, and I look forward to working with him as Chair of the Communities Committee. Minister, do you agree that deaf people have experienced generations of inequality and social exclusion as a result of underinvestment in those sources? Will you commit — I know that you mentioned it — to ensuring that the Bill that you will lay will include both Irish sign language and British sign language?

Mr Lyons

Yes, I completely agree with the Member that this has affected many people. It has affected their educational attainment and their economic prospects. There are steps that we can take to ensure that we make that provision and improve those outcomes for people. Northern Ireland is, I suppose, unique in having users of British sign language and Irish sign language. That is broken down as roughly 3,500 British sign language users and 1,500 Irish sign language users. Those are separate languages, of course; they are not just visual representations of English and Irish. Yes, provision will be made for both languages in the legislation.

Mr Middleton

I thank the Minister for his announcement today and for his investment in Foyle. Minister, will lessons be learned from legislation in other parts of the UK to ensure that the legislation that we implement here will be effective?

Mr Lyons

Yes, absolutely. One benefit, if we can call it that, of being a little behind other jurisdictions is that we can learn lessons from their experiences. We can look at what has worked and what additional work is required. For me, it is really important that we listen to the deaf community in Northern Ireland and hear their concerns, and I intend to do that as part of an extensive consultation process.

Mr Butler

I welcome the Minister's announcement today, and I would like to give him the opportunity to commit to achieving the legislation in this mandate. Is the Minister minded to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) into the ambitions for the legislation?

Mr Lyons

I will have to come back on the second part of his question, but, yes, my sense is that we have support from all parties around the Chamber. That should make it easier to get the legislation through, and I look forward to support from across the Chamber.