In addition to the specific funding schemes detailed below, many organisations have policies and procedures for making their service accessible. Talk to your equality officer, disability officer, access officer, diversity officer, etc. about booking an interpreter.

• Funding for interpreting at job interviews
• Supports for Employers
• Disability Awareness Support Scheme
• Meetings with Dept. Social Protection
• Interpreting for GP & Primary Care appointments

Funding for interpreting at job interviews: Are you Deaf and going to a job interview? Is a Deaf person attending an interview at your organisation?

You can get funding from Intreo/Dept. Social Protection for a sign language interpreter.

There is a special grant called JIIG (Job Interview Interpreter Grant). It is for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech problem.

You can use this grant for: a job interview and/or training when you start a new job.

Supports for Employers from Dept. of Social Protection: Dept. of Social Protection have a number of different schemes offering support to employers who are considering hiring an employee with a disability. These schemes also cover Deaf employees. See the Dept of Social Protection website for more information.

Disability Awareness Support Scheme: Also provided by Dept. of Social Protection, this scheme will cover the cost of Disability Awareness Training for staff. This funding can be used for Deaf Awareness Training. For details of the scheme, see here. Contact your local Intreo office for application details or click here for contact details.

Meetings with Dept. Social Protection: Social Welfare offices, Community Welfare offices & Intreo

If you are dealing with a public office – Social Welfare Local Office, Community Welfare Offices and Intreo – make your requirement for ISL interpretation known in advance when arranging interviews and appointments.

The staff in the SWLO should then contact the Information Unit with this request for interpretation services.

The policy is called “Procedures for Translation and Interpreting“. This policy is available on the DSP intranet in the Information & Customer Section.

The Information Unit based in Sligo is responsible for arranging interpretation services for customers (including ISL).

Give these contact names in the Information Unit to your local Social Welfare office:

Sinead O’Gara: sinead.ogara@welfare.ie – 0719141225

Annemarie Ahern: annemarie.ahern@welfare.ie – 071 9148377

Susan McGowan: susan.mcgowan – 071 9141131

Sharon Kiernan: sharon.kiernan@welfare.ie – 071 9141232

It is also possible to e-mail translations@welfare.ie – It’s the generic e-mail account for the Information Unit.

Thanks to Kerry Deaf Resource Centre for this information, and see below for a KDRC notice regarding access to DSP services.

“INTERPRETING ACCESS TO DEPT OF SOCIAL PROTECTION.

In a recent Deafhear Killarney newsletter, they had an interesting article on interpreting access to Dept of Social Protection services.

“A senior Department of Social Protection official has informed DeafHear that the Department will always book an ISL interpreter when requested and required by Deaf clients.

The Department assured DeafHear that funding was not an issue and there was no limit placed on funding where interpreters were required.

The Department of Social Protection have an important role in providing welfare payments and new employment support service Intreo. The Intreo service will be very important as the services integrates welfare/income payments with information on employment, training and personal opportunities.

The Department would like to know of any instances where a Deaf client is/was refused an ISL interpreter when accessing services from the Department of Social Protection.”

Interpreting access for GP & Primary Care appointments
(HSE funded)

Since 2016 the HSE has provided funding to cover the cost of interpretation at GP appointments. The scheme is operated by SLIS. At present only Deaf people with a medical card or GP visit card are eligible to receive interpretation services under the scheme.

The scheme can also be used for some primary care appointments when the Deaf patient has been referred there by their GP or another HSE service; for example, if the Deaf client is referred to the chiropodist by their GP or local public health nurse.

Contact SLIS for further information or to arrange an interpreter for an appointment.
Interpreting service POSTER for GP + Pimary Care