DUP MP absent on first day of new parliament while objecting to Irish language street signs at council

A DUP MP intervened in a debate about Irish language signs at a council meeting - on the same day as the new parliament met for the first time.

While most of the north’s MPs were sworn-in at Westminster on Tuesday, Carla Lockhart attended a planning committee meeting of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council that same night where she spoke out against an application for dual language street signs.

Ms Lockhart, a former Mayor of Craigavon, has not been a member of the local authority since 2016 and had no vote at the committee.

Addressing the meeting, she said she was objecting on behalf of residents in the area who opposed the signage, as well as a number of Orange lodges.

The application for the signs was originally made in October 2023 by residents in the Woodside Gardens area of Portadown, close to the historically tense Garvaghy Road.

There were nine responses to a survey on the plans, all in support, the council committee heard. A vote at the committee ultimately saw the defeat of the proposal.

Ms Lockhart told the meeting that the plans were part of “a concerted effort to cleanse this area of Protestantism”.

“This will utterly undermine the good work which has been done and the progress that has been made in this regard,” the committee heard.

“These signs are about territory marking. Having canvassed the area in recent days the minority community in the area are utterly opposed, they feel afraid to speak out. They feel intimidated, they feel they are being targeted for their opposition.

“This is political, this is an agenda and unfortunately it will destabilise and upset the finely balanced good relations in the area.

“In my opinion this is not about the Irish language and their love for the Irish language, this is political, it’s to whip up tension and it’s an attempt to territory mark.”

Speaking in support of the petition, Linda O’Neill from Drumcree Community Trust told the committee she was devastated with how the Irish language was being referred to within the council.

“There is nothing to fear about signs going up. If anything it would prove that this council is being progressive and this council are recognising the rights of the people that live there,” she said.

Seven councillors voted in favour while seven voted against. DUP committee chairman Scott Armstrong had the casting vote, which ultimately let to the proposal being rejected.

It’s understood no Irish language signage has been approved by the unionist controlled Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon council since it first came into existence in 2015.

Ms Lockhart, who was sworn-in at Westminster on Wednesday, and the DUP were both contacted for comment.