The Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters (RISLI) is the national professional register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters, established in accordance with Section 7 of the Irish Sign language Act.
RISLI completed the survey of interpreters in February 2025 to establish how many interpreters on the RISLI register are actively interpreting.
There are currently 118 interpreters on the register. A total of 98 (or 83%) of interpreters responded to the survey.
Only 63% of interpreters reported that they work as interpreters on a full-time basis.
The numbers above are stark and provide additional evidence of the requirement to not only to address the scarcity of ISL interpreters but also to address the issues in the interpreting profession that impede interpreters’ ability to work as interpreters.