Revealed: almost half of Irish speakers only know basic terms

Conor McKee: I’ve never studied Ulster Scots, but even I am 90% fluent in it.

Coley McStab: Tell us something we don’t know. But, sure, it’s stopping us from having a government while important things in life are crumbling around us. But we will put it down to respect and equality.

Sean McNally: Coley McStab, funny how a native language act isn’t a problem in any other part of the UK.

Paul Pawlett:The native language of the British Isles is English. Even the languages of immigrants are used more than the Irish language.

Sean McCampbell: Someone needs to look up the definition of “native”.

Sean McNally: Paul Pawlett, there are more Irish speakers on the island of Ireland than there are people living in Northern Ireland, actually. Given that the father of unionism, Edward Carson, was an Irish speaker, it’s amazing how people are so afraid of something that is their heritage.

Paul Casey: Sean McNally, according to the 2016 Republic of Ireland census, 73,803 people speak the Irish language daily in the Republic of Ireland (outside the education system), including 20,586 people who speak it every day in the Gaeltacht (outside the education system). However, only 8,068 census 2016 forms were completed in Irish. Some 1.8 million people live in Northern Ireland. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but have you not made a complete fool of yourself? Coley McStab: Paul Casey, in other words, 8,068 speak it. The rest are just bluffing.

Jayne Harvey: Paul Pawlett, but Scotland and Wales still have their language on signs and so do the Cornish. Obviously, you wouldn’t put Ulster Scots on signs, because it isn’t a language.

Tina Davis: Ulster Scots is not a language.