Good Friday Agreement: DUP accuses government of destroying peace deal

MPs debated Irish language and Ulster Scots legislation, which was initially part of the deal that restored the Stormont institutions in 2020.

MPs voted to by 380 votes to four to move the legislation to the next stage.

The Northern Ireland secretary said the government was honestly trying to reflect what was previously agreed.

The Good Friday Agreement is also known as the Belfast Agreement.

The bill would provide “recognition and protection” of Irish language and the Ulster-British tradition.

The legislation would give the Irish language official status, allow the use of Irish in courts and see the appointment of Irish and Ulster Scots/Ulster British commissioners.

It will also allow the Northern Ireland secretary to intervene in areas relating to the decisions of commissioners, if power sharing was not restored.

DUP MPs complained there would be a disparity in the powers available to the three commissioners.

‘Destroying the agreement’

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart said the government was disregarding cross community safeguards.

“Government figures and members of this house may be ordering the birthday cake to mark 25 years of the Belfast Agreement next year, it is worth stating that the same people cannot have their cake and eat it - surely you cannot celebrate something whilst at the same time destroying it,” she said.

"The DUP believes that the functions of the commissioner should be extended to explicitly reference heritage and culture.

“Currently, the legislation only provides for language, arts and literature. If the ambition for this legislation to make it as comprehensive as possible, then such a change would be desirable to better reflect the extent and importance of these distinct traditions.”

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the government would discuss the different roles of the commissioners when the bill moved to committee stage.

He added that one of the safeguards was that the appointments would be made jointly by the first minister and deputy first minister.

Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter Kyle, said the Labour Party supported the legislation but was disappointed that it was not progressing through the Stormont institutions.

Julian Smith, who was Northern Ireland secretary when the New Decade, New Approach deal was agreed, said the legislation followed the spirit of the agreement.

“I genuinely believe that this legislation does enhance language provision, cultural provision and rights,” he said.

He told language rights in Northern Ireland were a very emotive issue and that it was very difficult to get agreement on powers of the commissioners during the 2020 talks.

He accepted some aspects of their powers will need further analysis.

NI Minister Steve Baker sought to reassure the DUP, saying the government had “absolutely no intention of leaping in to use the powers” and that they were there as a matter of last resort.

SDLP MP Claire Hanna said the legislation was overdue but welcome.

Speaking in Irish, the Belfast South MP said it was better late than never,

Ms Hanna welcomed the legislation but added that this bill fell short of what was previously agreed at St Andrews and said she hoped the bill “will remove a lot of the poisonous party politics that have thwarted language.”

“Language has been political in the island of Irish for hundreds of years,” she added.

Alliance’s Stephen Farry made his opening remarks in Irish, saying he supported the bill as it delivered on a key commitment of the New Decade, New Approach agreement. "

The North Down MP told the house there was no excuse for the legislation not progressing through the Northern Ireland Assembly years ago.

Mr Baker told MPs he was moved by efforts being made to teach unionists Irish, “unionists who recognise you don’t have to go back too many generation to find that their ancestors were speaking Irish.”

The minister said the dispute over language rights have gone on for too long.

“People have been insulted on both sides. I’ve listened to Ulster Scots say they have been demeaned, I’ve listened to Irish speakers saying their language has been demeaned. This just can’t go on . We are the authors of our future.”