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AFTER MORE THAN 13 months of political stalemate a deal to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland looks as far away as ever, after DUP leader Arlene Foster said today that the Irish language question is keeping Stormont shuttered.
But what exactly is the issue?
The background
When Martin McGuinness stepped down as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in January 2017 after holding the post for nearly 10 years, the failure to introduce legislation on the Irish language was listed as one of the chief reasons he effectively pulled the plug on the Executive.
Since that collapse there have been numerous failed attempts to restore power, as well as an election, a new Northern Ireland secretary and, of course, a new leader of Sinn Féin in the North after the death of McGuinness.
Talks were restarted in recent weeks following the appointment of Karen Bradley as the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
When the British and Irish leaders rolled into town on Monday there appeared to be a strong sense of optimism that the situation would finally getting resolved. However the day came and went without a deal, and today DUP leader Arlene Foster strongly reiterated that her party will not sign off on a standalone Irish language Act, which Sinn Féin has been pushing for for more than a decade.
Language is routinely a flashpoint in Northern Ireland politics, such as when the word ‘Uisce’ appeared on Ballymena manhole covers or when the DUP’s Gregory Campbell was barred from addressing Stormont for a day for mocking Irish and refusing to apologise.
“Curry my yoghurt can coca coalyer,” Campbell famously quipped in an incident which McGuinness said “bordered on racism”.
So what is Sinn Féin looking for?
On the broader language issue, Sinn Féin supports the restoration of Irish as the spoken language of the majority of people in Ireland.
The specific stumbling block in Northern Ireland surrounds the introduction of an Irish language Act (Acht na Gaeilge) which would give Irish equal status with English.
The party is seeking legislation which would allow for:
The party attempted to introduce an Irish language bill in the assembly in 2015 but it did not gain the necessary support to become law.
It’s not just Sinn Féin which backs legislation supporting Irish. The SDLP is also seeking the creation of an act, while the Alliance Party is in favour of a comprehensive act which covers various languages used in Northern Ireland including sign languages.
Pobal, the umbrella organisation for the Irish language community, says the act was promised by the UK government in the St Andrews’ Agreement in 2006.
Irish language activists have been particularly active in the past year with demonstrations being held in Belfast and social media campaigns gaining considerable traction online.
The Unionist stance
The DUP has always opposed an Irish language act, with party leader Arlene Foster previously arguing that there should be a Polish language act instead because more people in Northern Ireland speak Polish than Irish.
In the run-up to last year’s election, speaking about Sinn Féin’s demands she famously told a party event: “If you feed a crocodile it will keep coming back for more.” The former First Minister later said she regretted the comments, which helped to galvanise supporters of Sinn Féin.
Some unionists see the demands for the new law as a tool to be used by Sinn Féin in their quest for a united Ireland, or the latest manoeuvre in the long-running atmosphere of distrust between the two sides.
Last September a poll found that two-thirds of DUP voters oppose an act and less than 50% would support one even if party headquarters agreed to it in a deal to restore devolution.
That same month Foster called for “a new cultural deal” which would address cultural issues such as the Irish language, in a bid to restore the Assembly.
She outlined that Ulster Scots culture, heritage and language needs to be researched and promoted if the Irish language legislation becomes a reality. The move was widely interpreted as the unionist price for supporting a deal regarding Irish.
The call was rejected by Sinn Féin.
In her statement signalling the collapse of talks today Foster said unionists “will not countenance a stand alone or free-standing Irish language act. Sinn Fein’s insistence on a stand alone Irish language act means that we have reached an impasse.”
I respect the Irish language and those who speak it but in a shared society this cannot be a one-way street. Respect for the unionist and British identity has not been reciprocated.
Foster said it now appears that no deal is possible. The UUP also oppose an act with party leader Robin Swann saying it would be “divisive”.
What happens now?
Both the Irish and British governments have expressed strong the desire that power-sharing be reestablished as soon as possible. However the continued failure of the parties to find a solution to the impasse could lead to the reinstatement of direct rule from Westminster.
Foster evoked this prospect in her statement but Sinn Féin has ruled it out with Northern Ireland leader Michelle O’Neill telling RTE News that it is “not an option”.
In November the UK government imposed a budget on the region with then Northern Ireland secretary of state James Brokenshire saying the civil service would have run out of money had he not passed the law.
While Foster said restoring the devolved government remains the DUP’s goal, it is now “incumbent upon Her Majesty’s government to set a budget and start making policy decisions about our schools, hospitals and infrastructure.”
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So Sinn Fein are looking for the following
The use of Irish in courts, in the Assembly and for use by state bodies including the police
The appointment of an Irish language commissioner
The establishment of designated Gaelteacht areas in the North
The right for education through Irish
Bilingual signage on public buildings and road signage
I’m not a Sinn Fein supporter but I do agree with what they are proposing. This is Ireland after all.
@Just Some Guy: the right for education through Irish? Would that not be logistically impossible to deliver or at least in short-term?
@James Gorman: It would be in the short term but one poll showed that the majority of people in the North and an overwhelming majority in the Republic supported it. It’s a right in the Basque Country to have your education through either Spanish or Basque why can’t it be here. They went from having 5% of teachers being able to teach through Basque to 80% within only 20 years. There is no reason we can’t do that.
@Éamonn Flynn: no problem with that at all once a vexatious claim on the state wouldn’t succeed before the resources are put in place in a reasonable time frame.
@James Gorman: education is already available through Irish. There is a growing number of gaelscoileanna and a part of west Belfast is already a designated gaeltacht. Unlike what the DUP rejected, there is no mention of compulsory Irish in schools. Historically, Irish was spoken as a first language in the Glens of Antrim and Rathlin until the 1980s. Interestingly, it has recently been revived by members of the unionist/loyalist community in east Belfast who have traced their Irish speaking roots and discovered the importance of Irish within their tradition. Google Turas to read about its success. So, for Arlene to claim that the Irish language is incompatible with a unionist/loyalist identity is not only wrong, but not representative of the views of the community.
@Just Some Guy: I would be a Sinn Fein supporter but I think that this debacle shows the worst of sectarian politics on both sides -where the public are being poorly served by the politicians , there has been no government for a year , theres money the UK have promised and cant be spent on vital services and I am sorry mate but your ‘this is ireland after all’ shows how clueless you must be about both the history and indeed current legal status of Northern Ireland
@James Gorman: why bother?
There was no way that the DUP were going to agree to anything that Sinn Fein demanded. They have absolutely no reason to agree to it when the alternative is the DUP paradise… Direct rule with them propping up Westminster and by default having complete control of northern Ireland .
@domas1507: With May relying on the DUP Arlene thinks she has the Tories by the balls and May on a choke chain, Arlene is loving the idea that she controls the UK government and her arrogance has shown this yesterday…
@Alois Irlmaier: problem is Arlene could be right
@Jane: Did you read the article jane? You cant turn this one on SF.
@domas1507: it will be good if direct rule is imposed the will shoot themselves in the foot…
@F. Wood: no this one is on the DUP and they have the upper hand while they have May over a barrel.
@Jane: May is weak, that’s the problem, she should tell Arlene where to go…
The political DEADLOCK in the North was caused by SF wanting Arlene to step down from her position for a proper investigation on the ASH FOR CASH scandal in the North. She refused and that was the main reason but secondary issues came up as well like the Irish language that the DUP agreed to at the Good Friday Agreement. So does this mean the DUP can’t be trusted or does Arlene believe a break as in Brexit means the break of the Good Friday Agreement where she can get the North ruled from London, I think so…
It suits the DUP to keep Stormont closed whilst they hold the balance of power at Westminster. Theyre basically governing from London which is what they really want. And of course they continue to pander to extremes within Unionism as are the UUP. SF need to up their game here and find a way to force the DUP back to Stormont.
@F. Wood: what Sinn Fein should do is abandon their policy of not taking seats in Westminster. There will be a general election in the near future in Britain and there is a strong chance of a Labour coalition getting in. This would be a glorious opportunity for sinn fein to stick it to the DUP. it would become direct rule with Sinn Fein pulling the strings of a very left leaning Labour party. What beautiful irony that would be for the bitter DUP dinosaurs
@F. Wood: they could take their seats in Westminster. That would stir things up
Foster is just being a real smart alec calling for a polish speaking act.The only way we will ever ever get things done for OUR island is for a referendum on a united Ireland full stop.
This DUP gang are not going to engage in any way with Catholics on our Island.Start the ball rolling Marylou asap.
@Gerry Fallon: not when dup/uvf or burning the house of eastern euopeans as a further show of bigotry and racism.
@Gerry Fallon: and much as I would be inclined to agree with your sentiment judging by the way we govern the republic of ireland I would not be easily persuaded that we would manage to ‘get things done’ after a referendum on united ireland. WHERE is the evidence that an Irish government can do better ?? Name me ONE government department that we haven’t basically run as a shambles , health ? Law ? Transport ? education ? Housing ? Are you paying attention to whats happening in Ireland ?? Id suggest trying to get that sorted first before stressing about united ireland and taking on the additional burden to be honest
@Gerry Fallon: Yes English people do not look for an English Act in Spain, where there is a large number nor indeed do the Polish themselves here.
“The DUP has always opposed an Irish language act, with party leader Arlene Foster previously arguing that there should be a Polish language act instead because more people in Northern Ireland speak Polish than Irish.”
This alone shows everyone exactly what Arlene Foster and the Ulster Unionists are…..insane, Irish hating fanatics.
@Patty Cullinane: Irish is not just another language though. It should rightly be elevated. It’s the indigenous language of Ireland.
For Arlene to consent would be acknowledging Irish people are equal to Unionist people.
@Niallers: most people dont speak it though
A big headache for the parliament in London,they have enough on their plate with brexit without having to babysit the north.arlene is adamant to cause trouble again in Belfast
The DUP have never intended to share Power with Nationalists, they have subverted the Good Friday Agreement and St Andrews Accord.
They have sought the Strand 2 relationships to wither on the vine!
They have now collapsed the Strand 1 elements
The Govts need now to activate the Strand 3 elements and have Joint Authority introduced immediately!
Time to leave bigotry behind!
That’s some shopping list Sinn Fein have.
Quite typical of their fiscal sensibility.
It’s almost as though they wanted something so OTT to be sure the DUP would find it disagreeable and Sinn Fein could avoid governing for a bit longer.
@alphanautica: What’s wrong with basic language rights? If Wales, Finland, the Basque Country and Catalonia can do it why can’t we?
@Éamonn Flynn: why should we?
@Gus Sheridan: because we’re Irish
It suit both parties to continue to polarise the northern electorate. Identity politics and whats been described as national chauvinism are the key to success at the polls.
@Honeybadger197: cross party support both for Foster to step aside while corruption was investigated and for the language act.
@Mr Phil Officer: Given what’s happening with Brexit, they have far bigger fish to fry.
@Honeybadger197: funny you mention Brexit, majority vote to stay ignored on that issue also.
@Mr Phil Officer: Which poses a bigger threat to NI?
@Honeybadger197: “which poses the biggest threat” well a simple gesture of equality and respect towards your neighbours after decades of discrimination certainly isn’t a threat to anyone.
@Mr Phil Officer: Priorities.
@Honeybadger197: the DUP turned up a chance to heal the divide with a simple gesture, you’re a reasonable fella I’m sure you could agree with that.
@Mr Phil Officer: what really happened was a minority of extremists within unionism scuppered the deal that was made with the DUP.
@Mr Phil Officer: I don’t think it’s the right time for a “simple gesture”. By all means revisit it when they’ve earned their wages representing an electorate which rejected brexit.
@Honeybadger197: ignoring the issues won’t make them go away.
@Mr Phil Officer: Parking some issues while you deal with a far greater threat makes more sense. Do you not consider Brexit a huge threat to NI?
@Honeybadger197: Brexit is a huge threat to northern Ireland as a state. It will inevitably lead to a united Ireland. where northern Ireland will no longer exist. Thank your dumb party members for their actions in speeding up the inevitable.
@Terrence Wheelock: Sorry, who are my party members?
Amazingly it would be interesting to know what the combined IQ of the DUP is. They along with the f.g trolls on here claim that a large percentage of irish nationalists consider themselves to be northern irish and would not vote for a united Ireland. while I would dispute this, if it were true, surely it would be in the interest of the dup to show these people that they would be happy to see them have equal rights. The DUP would lose nothing from an irish language act. They could still light their bonfires beside vunerable peoples residence, they could still walk the streets banging their drums an singing sectarian songs, they could still fly their flegs.
when brexit takes hold and labour have a majority government. I cant see the britsh having much desire in holding on to the six counties or propping it up. when the six counties looks like a third world country in comparison to the republic. I cant see too many nationalists or protestants resisting a united Ireland.
Every act the unionist have ever carried out since denying votes, housing, since forming a sectarian police force. since burning catholics out of their homes to assaulting and shooting protesters, have been another nail in the union coffin. Their support for a brexit and refusal to compromise on simple rights are just the final nail.
@Terrence Wheelock: Many Irish have the same allegiance to the British heritage as the Unionists do, not so much to the monarchy but through its academic tradition and particularly the Royal Society. Any attempt to bring the works of the empiricists into focus is met with sullen comments as though were beyond investigation but it shows the same lack of confidence as the Unionists to move forward and undo damage which belongs in the past.
A society that gives itself the greatest freedom from poor perspectives passed off as achievements will thrive and whether it is the Orange order celebrating the battle of the Boyne or some person here celebrating the voodoo merchants of the Royal Society, it is time to move on.
Ten years in government and not a peep from SF about a language act. Ask if you can read their act and it turns out they never wrote one. When they needed to deflect from RHI all of a sudden it was the most pressing issue in a generation!
Foster and O’Neill have been shown as totally out of their depth. Boxed themselves into corners and riled up their supporters so much that no compromise will be possible for years. Or until Corbyn gets into power and decrees gay marriage, abortion and a language act overnight in the north.
@Crom Cruach: there is cross party support for the rights issues.
@Crom Cruach: You’re right. Corbyn is known to be very much in favour of a United Ireland. He would be a disaster for Britain but a blessing for us.
Housing, health, the economy … no the most important things in the north language act, flags, parades… they deserve each other up there
@Kevin Spencer: What’s wrong with basic language rights being respected? Just because it’s not “serious” issue, it should mean that Sinn Féin should give up on one of its basic principles?
@Kevin Spencer: its really about ‘us’ i.e. Indigenous Irish and ‘them’ British settlers. Its not a North South issue. In the South we don’t have to live with anti-gay, anti-Gaelic and pro-creationist (God made the world 6,000 years ago) types who would be quite at home in Mississippi or in a West Bank settlement.
Can’t understand why these people vote for abstenstionist Sinn Fein – give SDLP your vote and have a say on the biggest threat to you this century : BREXIT
@shits ville: don’t think so
@shits ville: Complete opposite, brexit is the stepping stone to a united Ireland thriving due to e.u membership. The long term future will be bright.vote for a party like sinn fein and you get what it says on the tin. we wont be taking are seats. vote labour and you get “sure everybody lies before an election”. vote f.g/f.f and you get we wont join in a coalition and then you get just that.
@shits ville: SDLP are finito. Sinn Féin speak for the indigenous Irish in the North.
The GFA is a dead duck.
Nothing has changed in NI in 20 years.
Why does nobody ask the DUP, what their attitude is regarding their homeland of origin – Scotland – and it’s Gaelic language Act? Ditto for marriage equality.
This is the greatest red herring from both sides.
Unionists being belligerent in not wanting it, The Church of Sinnfeinology being belligerent in pretending they give a sh*t and or actually understand it.
Good luck to the lot of them.
@MK76: It’s ever since Gerry started his £16k a year taxpayer-funded Irish classes in 2014 that this thing has just gotten out of hand.
Imagine he’d taken up Chinese instead. That would really have flummoxed the DUP.
@alphanautica: That €16,000 was for several TDs not just him. For comparison in Wales over 10% of all assembly members are learning Welsh when a significant amount are already fluent.
@alphanautica: would have been more useful in todays world
@thewolf: You talking to yourself Puppy?
A lot of this is just silly politicking but some of the topic is a real problem for the unionist community and not just the DUP leadership. If a “standalone” Act is enforced, that implies something like the Welsh Language Act. In Wales, all schoolchildren are required to learn Welsh (including in parts of Wales where Welsh is rarely spoken) and all road-signs and public notices are bi-lingual with precedence given to Welsh (top of the page/sign, left of the page, larger font etc). In Wales, the majority non-Welsh speakers complain about the cost of this but largely accept it. Many unionists (even those of the most moderate views) would struggle with their children being compelled to learn Irish, having bilingual signage in all areas or job access determined by proficiently in Irish. As per the GFA itself, it may be move realistic for progress to balance the status of Irish and Ulster Scots traditions. I can’t personally find any enthusiasm for tri-lingual road signage but that may be the only way forward.
@Terry McClatchey: An Irish language act is completely unrelated to Irish being compulsory in schools. Compulsory Irish hasn’t been suggested once for the North. The right to study it has though which is very different.
The road signs proposal is that there would be Irish on them if more than 50% of the community support it. There are many trilingual signs in Israel so I don’t see why that couldn’t be done there. But I would think that the Ulster Scots and English would be extremely similar most of the time so I think it could be a bit unnecessary.
I don’t where you got that about non-Welsh speakers complaining about Welsh. It has widespread support across Wales.
@Terry McClatchey: Och aye Terrence, aye dunny no about ulster scots on signs.
when the planters came here irish was the spoken language. we are already accomadating them by putting English on the signs and giving it a priority it doesn’t deserve.
@Terry McClatchey: And as far I know state services through Irish hasn’t been suggested and if they it would only be very limited provision of them. But if full provision was being proposed, I can understand people being annoyed by there being jobs where Irish is a requirement. But how else can the state do it. It’s a basic language right to receive state services through the language which is done in nearly every other country with a minority language – Wales, the Basque Country, Catalonia, Finland, etc. Why can’t it be the same here?
@Éamonn Flynn: I used to work for a local authority and previously a heath authority in Wales so my knowledge is based on the fact that I have heard the debates and received many of those complaints directly. Whilst some parents (including some non-Welsh speakers) do opt for Welsh medium education it is well documented that many parents (and pupils) object strongly to compulsory Welsh for all non Welsh medium pupils. I understand that NI provisions to promote Irish Language do not necessarily require compulsory schooling for all as per the Act in Wales. There is however is a well founded fear for many in the unionist community of a “standalone” Act if it were to be similar to that in Wales. I think that it would be more productive if the terms of the debate were moderated to emphasise choice and inclusion above legislation and compulsion.
Sock Puppets to the pumps!
Show what 5m of PAYE taxpayers money can do by flooding the threads
Lets rescue Leos ideological fellow travellers the DUP, from their own bigotry
Never! Never!! Never!! Riamh!!!
Sin e.
A language we all have some romantic attachment to but very few of us actually speak on any regular basis. Most Irish people speak French,Spanish or German better than they can speak Irish. Let’s all call a spade a spade here… if we are honest, would we really care if we were going into town on Dublin Bus would any of us miss the next stop being called out in Irish if it wasn’t there?? Or who actually reads the Irish version of any govt information posters or letters??
@Michael Wynne: oh and another thing…. whis honestly agreed if you do your Leaving cert in irish that you get more points for it?
Unable to form a government for the people. This is a result of 300 years of failed multiculturism
The world needs to decide on One language. All others become secondary. We’d still be banjaxed, just we could understand each other better.
@Paul Jennings: Best of luck with that. Try telling the French they will not have their beautiful language. We must be the only people in the World who are ashamed of the the language spoken by our ancestors.
“In a shared society this cannot be a one way street”. She’s off her head if she thinks what is currently in place is in fact a “shared society”. The fact there is such a hard line taken against the Irish language, which appears to be supported by the Irish and British Govs, is the opposite of having a shared society. A shared society is about accommodating each other and there is none of that from the DUP. Secondly, she seems like a very tough and strong determined woman but behind her is the Orange Order…
They are afraid of a shared society, always have been. The Unionists live in a world of perpetual fear.
No way will there be a return to direct rule – May doesn’t want a Barney with the Irish govt
Foster agreed to a deal and then couldn’t deliver internally – she would have been ousted
There will be another fudge for as long as it takes along with a potential split in the DUP leading to another election and a SF first minister followed by a border poll.
Time frame to end game – 10/15 years.
Start placing your bets
DUP Homeland of origin is Denmark, and Saxony
Scots hate the Northumbrians
Foster from the perspective of a woman the same generation is a one sided bitch and has a small level of intellect. A big ego a lot of fear and anger and these people never ever win. Sometimes you have to let them fall in their …
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