Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘IT’S A STAGING POST ON ROAD TO RIGHTS’
Campaigners hail language legislation Irish to get official status & commissioner
NEW cultural legislation has been hailed as a “historic advancement for the Irish language community”.
Under the proposals it would be granted official status in Northern Ireland.
It would also allow the use of Irish in courts and see the appointment of Irish and Ulster Scots/ulster British commissioners.
The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill also aims establish an Office of Identity and Cultural Expression.
The legislation would repeal the 1737 Administration of Justice (Language) Act (Ireland) which banned the use languages other than English in the courts. It was introduced in the House of Lords yesterday. Irish language speakers marked the day by unfurling a giant campaign flag at the front of Parliament Building at Stormont.
An Dream Dearg campaign spokesperson Padraig O Tiarnaigh described the legislation as a step forward.
He said: “We would consider this a historic advancement for our community, it is a staging post on our long, long road towards language rights and equality, and we recognise it as such.
“It doesn’t bring us to where we ultimately want to be.
“Stacked up against the Welsh model for language rights, for example, it does fall well short and does fall short of what we were promised at St Andrew’s, but for the 20,000 people that came out on the streets of Belfast on Saturday, for the generations of people who have walked this road with us for decades, today belongs to them. This is a day to celebrate and recognise all of that work and those pioneers who challenged the state when it wasn’t cool and when people said no, no, no.”
The NIO said the Bill aims to “deliver a balanced package of measures on identity and language, fulfilling the commitments set out in New Decade, New Approach”.
A statement added: “It will provide for the recognition and protection of the Irish language and the development of the Ulster Scots and Ulster British tradition”
The draft laws propose two commissioner roles – one for the Irish language and another for the Ulster Scots/ulster British tradition.
An Office of Identity and Cultural Expression would also be established “to promote cultural pluralism and respect for diversity”. The posts must be appointed by a first and deputy first minister – two roles which are currently vacant as the DUP is refusing to nominate ministers until the UK Government takes action on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The legislation also allows for the Secretary of State to make the appointments if the first and deputy first minister posts remain vacant.the Bill is expected to be passed by autumn.
Separate to the Identity and Language Bill, the UK Government announced it is granting Ulster Scots recognition as a national minority under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities – a status already granted to Irish, Welsh, Scots and Cornish.