Debate contribution: Irish Language Signage: Legal Actions

Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on 8 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Gordon Lyons
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 8 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Oral Answers to Questions
Heading: Irish Language Signage: Legal Actions
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5674078

Text

Yes, that is absolutely the case. This is a good opportunity to raise the issue of the recent court judgement on the Irish language strategy. Sinn Féin Members have been blaming me for a long, long time for holding up the strategy, but the judge was clear: DFC has been progressing the language strategies. So where did the hold-up come from? Where does the blockage come from? Here is what the judge had to say: he said that one Sinn Féin Minister did not even respond to his requests for information". I quote from the judgement:
"Of the two that responded, one stated that he had noted but had not approved the draft Strategy and the other, although approving it, raised issues in respect of costings."
Three Sinn Féin Ministers and three different approaches to the Irish language, yet what do they do all the time? They stand up and blame other people, because that, apparently, seems to be the Sinn Féin way. It is always somebody else's fault: blame the DUP, blame the Brits, blame austerity. Blame Sinn Féin Ministers, because they have been completely incompetent when it comes to this issue. They have mucked up, yet they continue to blame other people.

204 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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