Debate contribution: Irish Language Strategy

Debate contribution by Mr Colm Gildernew on 18 March 2025.

MLA

Mr Colm Gildernew

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

18 March 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Irish Language Strategy

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4860774

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil le gach duine a ghlac páirt i ndíospóireacht an lae inniu.

I especially thank the Members who indicated their support for our motion. As a proud Gael, it brings me great joy to speak on and speak up for our native language in the Chamber and the thousands of native Irish speakers whose dedication and hard work has kept our language alive and allowed it to thrive. The motion acknowledges the vibrancy, colour, strength and dynamism of the Irish language at this time, as we bring Seachtain na Gaeilge to a close. I acknowledge the event hosted by the Speaker, Mr Poots, in the Seanad as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge, which very much underlined the importance and long-standing history of the language and how it unites us across the North with Scotland and beyond as part of a rich shared history. I thank all the activists who put so much of their time and energy into promoting and protecting our language. The Irish language, a chairde,

is experiencing a significant revival in the North. More and more people, young people in particular, are taking an interest in learning the language. The Irish language is more visible today than it has been for many years. Irish language signage is readily available in many of our council areas, and I welcome the progress made by my party colleague Liz Kimmins in developing a pilot scheme to have dual-language signage in the Gaeltacht Quarter of west Belfast.

I absolutely agree that we need to ensure that all communities feel welcomed, supported and appropriately developed. That point was made forcefully at the Communities Committee on Thursday, when it was pointed out that some people belong to several communities and have needs that the Department for Communities is responsible for. We need to see intersecting and progressive movement on those issues.

Yes. Go ahead.

The Irish language is already on signs throughout Belfast: Béal Feirste

and Seanchill

are Irish words. They threaten no one and should be embraced in the same way as they were embraced in the Chamber throughout the week. I ask all parties in the Chamber to condemn those who vandalise and attack dual-language signs across the North. I also place on record my appreciation for the current Mná na hAthbheochana

exhibition at the Public Record Office. It celebrates the women who revived the use of the Irish language in the late 1960s and early 1970s and were involved in setting up the first urban Gaeltacht and gaelscoil. I commend the young women from Coláiste Feirste who helped put that important exhibition together. The growth and strength of the language is organic and grassroots-led. Many new Irish language schools are being established, which is a sign that the demand for Irish is very much growing. Those schools will be instrumental in increasing access to Irish-medium education across the North. We must also recognise the important role that our political institutions and legislation can play in encouraging the growth of the language and ensuring that speakers of the language are treated equally to speakers of other languages. As other Members have said, we have made huge progress in recent times. The Identity and Language Act 2022 was a notable milestone for those of us who wish to see full equality for the Irish language. The Act recently allowed for the ban on the use of Irish in our courts to be repealed. That ban was another reminder of the horrendous persecution that Irish speakers suffered in generations past, and the righting of that historic wrong was long overdue. The Act also set the stage for the appointment of an Irish language commissioner, and we heard last week that the appointments process for that position has begun. A chairde,

it is also important to recognise the advances that the language has made in film and music. Artists such as Kneecap, through their music and their award-winning film, are bringing the Irish language into the mainstream in a way that we have never seen before. I also recognise the progress made in the Chamber in accommodating the Irish language and thank the translation team for providing an excellent translation service. We have certainly come a long way since the days when the Irish language was openly mocked by Members of the party opposite, but we must recognise that there are still significant challenges to be overcome and understand that there is huge frustration among activists in the Irish language sector at the lack of progress. An Irish language strategy was agreed by all parties in the St Andrews Agreement in 2007. Eighteen years have passed, and we still have no strategy in place, despite there having been two successful judicial reviews. Last week, Conradh na Gaeilge presented to the Communities Committee in a powerful session. Regrettably, the Minister has refused to meet Conradh on three occasions, despite it being integral to the work of the co-design group. Minister, in relation to the comments that you made earlier, I have seen the letters that Conradh wrote to you, making it clear that it wanted to speak to you about the strategy, as well as funding issues. I have also seen your reply, in which you make it clear that you do not intend to meet them. That is a mistake. Given that you are the Minister for Communities — all communities — you should meet them. That position, Minister, leads to a widely held view that you do not respect the Irish language or the people who cherish, speak and use it every day. I am also curious and keen to find out more about the reappointing of departmental groups, which you referenced earlier. I am not aware of any precedent for that, and I am not sure what the purpose —.

Tá brón orm.

I am keen to understand the precedent for that, the purpose of such reappointment and how it will not simply be a further delay.

Yes, I will give way.

In light of that, I would like to know the timelines and deadlines for that process so that we can ensure that it does not act as a further delay. I am keen to hear all of that. I underline the fact that the Minister has a responsibility to demonstrate his respect for the Irish language and those who use it or wish to learn it and to set out a clear timeline for when he will present a final draft strategy to the Executive.

1,099 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Uncertain: close call Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:11 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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