Taoiseach calls on British government to fulfil Language Act promise

The Taoiseach has called on the British government to fulfil a promise it made to Sinn Féin on the introduction of an Irish Language Act in Northern Ireland and said he would be “taking it up” with them.

The British government yesterday confirmed that it would not deliver on the promise to introduce such an act at this stage.

Speaking in the Dáil, Micheál Martin said he had recently briefed United States President Joe Biden on the current political situation in the North and the White House had been very strong in its defence of the Good Friday Agreement.

He said the institutions in Northern Ireland should never be collapsed and the Executive should “take their seats and discharge their duties”.

He was responding to Aontú TD Peadar Tóibín, who said the Good Friday Agreement was being “gutted” and the Executive was not working.

He said there was no sign of resolution, adding that the commitment by Northern Secretary Brandon Lewis to introduce an Irish language act was “hocus pocus”.

Deputy Tóibín said the Government is sitting on its hands and “hoping the crisis will go away”.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the British government had demonstrated “bad faith” on its promise to introduce an Irish language act, and on its promise to introduce abortion services in the North.

The Taoiseach said the Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney had raised the issue of a language act with Mr Lewis and his understanding is that the British government will address it “after the election”.

However, he said his view is that “commitments have been given and commitments should be honoured” and followed through on.