Minister Humphreys officially opens Ireland’s first ever Irish Sign Language Café in Dublin
- Published on: 29 November 2023
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
- new facility in Cabra’s Deaf Village receives €100,000 under the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF)
- project to provide opportunities for employment, remote working and integration
The Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has today (Wednesday 29 November) officially opened Ireland’s first ever Irish Sign Language Café, which is located in Deaf Village in Cabra.
This new facility will provide members of the Deaf Community with a modern new space in which to meet and socialise. It will also generate opportunities for employment and remote working.
The project received €100,000 under the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) and was officially opened by Minister Humphreys during a visit to Deaf Village today.
Speaking during the visit, Minister Humphreys said:
“I am delighted to be here today in Cabra to officially open this new and exciting facility, which received €100,000 in funding under my department’s Community Centre Investment Fund.
"When I established this new fund last year, I did so with communities just like this one here in Deaf Village in mind.
“This is a very unique, welcoming and inclusive place – a place where members of the Deaf Community can come together and meet up with friends.
“And it’s a place too where they can access a range of supports and take part in various different activities and events in areas ranging from sport and education to arts and heritage.
“But I know too that this Village opens its doors to everyone – and it is a really popular place too for hearing people, our young people and members of the wider Cabra area.”
Minister Humphreys continued:
“Community Centres are an integral part of community life in cities, towns, villages around the country; and none more so than this unique opening here in Cabra today.
“I understand that the aim of this project was to renovate, refresh, and rebrand the café to expose and promote deaf culture and language to the wider Cabra community.
“It’s a project that will support jobs, remote working and, most importantly, help promote integration and inclusivity.
“I want to commend the work of everyone involved in bringing this project to fruition.”
Notes
Funding under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund was available under 3 Categories, with grants of between €10,000 and €300,000 available:
- Category 1: Small scale projects/improvements to facilities €10,000 - €25,000
- Category 2: Larger scale projects €25,001 to €100,000
- Category 3: Major projects €100,001 to €300,000
Funding was available for capital works such as:
- works to improve communal facilities such as kitchen and toilet facilities
- energy retrofitting, new windows / doors / heating systems
- upgrades to lighting systems and stage areas
- works to address safety concerns, including as a result of fire safety audits
- works to improve disability access
- improvements to assist in providing additional or better services to the community such as meals for the elderly and youth facilities
- works to develop Community Centres as Social Hubs through the development of Community Cinemas, Youth Hubs and Community Libraries
- essential maintenance works, repairs to roof, and so on
The fund closed to applications on 14 July 2022.
Over 860 projects were approved for funding with a combined value of over €45.8 million.