Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IRISH ACT NOT PRIMARY FOCUS INSISTS FOSTER
Legislation ‘not a top priority’ in pandemic
ADVOCATES pressing for swift delivery of an Irish language Act must be realistic that it is not a key priority amid the pandemic, Arlene Foster has said.
The First Minister insisted she remained committed to delivering legislative protections for Irish speakers, as part of a broader cultural package that also included the Ulster Scots/british tradition.
But the DUP leader suggested that may not be enacted in the current Assembly mandate as originally envisaged.
Mrs Foster told her Assembly scrutiny committee that Covid-19 matters had “engulfed” her department, impacting timelines for delivering many of the commitments in the New Decade, New Approach deal.
She said: “Our primary focus is on health recovery and economic recovery.
“I can absolutely understand why some people would rather point to the bits they want to see delivered, as opposed to the bits they don’t want to see delivered, but there’s a whole package in New Decade, New Approach in relation to what needs to be delivered.” Asked if her department still intended to introduce language legislation before next year’s Assembly election, she said: “There has to be a realistic conversation on what we can deliver before the end of this mandate and what we’ll need to carry over.
“But I am not resiling from New Decade, New Approach.”
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill said the outstanding commitments in the deal needed to be delivered in as “speedy a way as we can”.
She added: “I think we need to see delivery across the board and the public need to see the political leaders stand by what we signed up to.
“That’s what we all need to be focused on.
“The Irish Language Act you know isn’t up for negotiation or renegotiation, it was agreed as part of the package, so I want to see the whole package delivered upon in as speedy a way as we can.
“We were obviously disrupted somewhat because of Covid but I think it’s important that we get back to dealing with all the commitments that were made.”