音声読み上げで初の代表質問　重度障害のれいわ・舩後氏

　参院本会議で行われた２７日の各党代表質問で、難病の筋萎縮性側索硬化症（ＡＬＳ）を患う、れいわ新選組の舩後靖彦議員が質問に臨んだ。事前に用意した文章を読み上げるノートパソコンの機能を使い、岸田文雄首相に防衛予算の減額などを迫った。衆参両院事務局によると、機械が質問を読み上げる形式での本会議の質疑は初めて。
　舩後氏は介助者らとともに登壇し、「私だけでなく、他の人工呼吸器利用者、言語障害のある人が当たり前に本会議場で質問できる道が開けた」と意義を強調した。
　舩後氏は２０１９年の参院選で初当選。４０代で体を動かせなくなるＡＬＳを患い、声を出して話すことができない。
　同党は２２年の参院選で３議席増やし、計５議席となったため、今国会で１９年の結党以来初めて代表質問の枠を得た。（2023/01/27-18:26）

Lawmaker Yasuhiko Funago, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, on Friday became the first in Japan to ask questions using a text-to-speech function of a computer in a parliamentary plenary meeting.
   Funago, a House of Councillors member of opposition Reiwa Shinsengumi, attended a plenary meeting of the upper chamber of the Diet for party representatives to question Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on his policy speech delivered Monday.
   Using the function to read out a prepared speech on his laptop, Funago urged Kishida to reduce defense spending.
   According to the secretariats of both Diet chambers, it was the first time for questioning to be held at a plenary meeting with the use of such machine assistance.
   Funago took the rostrum accompanied by an assistant and others.