Stormont: Irish only evidence heard at committee for first time

An NI Assembly committee has for the first time heard evidence conducted entirely through the medium of Irish.

Conradh na Gaeilge appeared at the Communities Committee on Thursday.

In 2021, MLAs agreed to set up simultaneous translation services in Irish and Ulster-Scots in the NI Assembly.

But this was the first time members heard committee evidence from witnesses delivered in Irish, and translated into English.

The Irish language campaign group Conradh na Gaeilge told assembly members it was “extremely disappointed” that Stormont has not yet adopted an Irish language strategy.

New strategies on Irish language and Ulster-Scots were promised in the New Decade New Approach (NDNA) deal which led to the restoration of power-sharing in 2020.

In 2022, the High Court ruled that the Northern Ireland Executive had continued to breach a legal obligation to implement the strategy.

At that time, power-sharing had collapsed again and the judge said any newly-formed regime would be expected to expedite the plans.

Dr Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh from Conradh na Gaeilge said he remained concerned by the “lack of a timeline”.

“It’s not good enough that we are continuing to question where the strategy is, we don’t want to be going back to the courts. It’s so important that this is hurried along,” he said.

Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots also hosted an event at Stormont on Thursday to mark Irish Language Week.

Speaking to BBC News NI afterwards, he said he did not think unionists had “anything to fear” from the Irish language.

“There may have been people who have politicised it at times, but I think the less politicisation there is of our culture, the better,” he said.

The Department for Communities has responsibility for Irish language and Ulster-Scots strategies, but they will need to be approved by the executive.

The committee agreed to write to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to seek clarity on whether the strategy would be published in time to be included in the department’s budget for the forthcoming financial year.

The Executive Office is also tasked with appointing new Irish and Ulster-British commissioners, but this has yet to happen.

Legislation was passed at Westminster in 2022 on a cultural package to develop and progress Irish and Ulster-Scots.

The act gives the Irish language official status, allows the use of Irish in courts and sees the appointment of Irish and Ulster Scots/Ulster British commissioners.

But it is up to the first and deputy first ministers to sign off on the appointments.