Debate contribution: Irish Language Street Signage in Belfast

Debate contribution by Mr Pat Sheehan on 13 October 2025.

MLA: Mr Pat Sheehan
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 13 October 2025
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Irish Language Street Signage in Belfast
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5176255

Text

Is iarracht eile é an rún seo ón DUP lenár dtarraingt ar gcúl. Níl suim dá laghad ag bunús mór na ndaoine in iarrachtaí den chineál seo. Tá formhór mhuintir Bhéal Feirste, agus, leoga, formhór mhuintir an Tuaiscirt, ag iarraidh sin a fhágáil ina ndiaidh. An frith-Ghaelachas atá taobh thiar den rún seo. Tá sé seanaimseartha, agus tagann sé salach ar an Bhéal Feirste atá againn inniu. Insíonn na fíricí a scéal féin. Ó tugadh an beartas isteach, agus ó ceadaíodh na chéad sráideanna i mí Eanáir na bliana 2023, chuaigh suirbhé ar bhreis is 530 sráid ar fud Bhéal Feirste. Níor chuir ach fíor-bheagán i gcoinne an bheartais. Níor easaontaigh ach 2·9% de na cónaitheoirí uile a ndeachaigh suirbhé orthu.
Yes.
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Member for that. He will know that international best practice with regard to visibility for minority languages is the basis for that policy in Belfast City Council. I know that the DUP is totally opposed to Irish in any form whatsoever, but you need to get used to it. It is a minority language here and needs to be helped and supported. That is exactly what is happening. Ó tugadh an beartas isteach, agus ó ceadaíodh na chéad sráideanna i mí Eanáir na bliana 2023, chuaigh suirbhé ar bhreis is 530 sráid ar fud Bhéal Feirste. Níor chuir ach fíor-bheagán i gcoinne an bheartais. Níor easaontaigh ach 2.9% de na cónaitheoirí uile a ndeachaigh suirbhé orthu. Ar an meán, sin 1.7% in aghaidh na sráide. I níos mó ná trí cheathrú de na sráideanna a ndearnadh suirbhé orthu, níor easaontaigh oiread is aon chónaitheoir amháin. Fiú má fhágtar an Cheathrú Gaeltachta ar lár, tá an patrún mar a gcéanna. Ar fud 244 shráid, níor vótáil ach 3.9% de na cónaitheoirí i gcoinne na comharthaíochta dátheangaí, agus vótáil naonúr as gach 10 ar a son. Ar níos mó ná leath de na sráideanna uile - 54% - ní raibh aon easaontú ann, agus, i 96% de chásanna, bhí níos mó cónaitheoirí i bhfabhar na comharthaíochta dátheangaí ná a bhí ina coinne. Ar fud na 536 shráid a ndeachaigh suirbhé orthu, ní raibh oiread is aon sráid amháin ann nach rabhathas sásta leis an chomharthaíocht dhátheangach. Insíonn sin rud tábhachtach dúinn: ní beartas conspóideach é seo; tá sé cuimsitheach. Léiríonn sé gur cathair nua-aimseartha fhéin-mhuiníneach é Béal Feirste. Ní bagairt í an Ghaeilge d’aon duine. Is í teanga dhúchais an oileáin seo í, agus is cuid den oidhreacht chomhchoitianta í ag gach duine sa chathair seo, beag beann ar chúlra nó ar chreideamh. Tá na mílte ag foghlaim na Gaeilge gach seachtain. Is linn go léir í. Tá beagnach 40 bliain ó shin, cuireadh Máirtín Ó Muilleoir amach as cruinniú comhairle cionn is gur labhair sé Gaeilge; caitheadh amach é cionn is gur úsáid sé a theanga féin. Tá an éadulaingt chéanna le feiceáil inniu nuair a loitear comharthaí sráide Gaeilge. Tá an éadulgaint sin le feiceáil i rúin den chineál atá idir camánaibh againn inniu.
Yes.
You, as a former police officer, should be able to tell us whether the police carried out any investigations.
I am here to talk about Irish language street signage and dual language street signage, so —
Agus nuair a bhaintear feidhm as na cúirteanna le bac a chur ar an dul chun cinn; tá an éadulgaint sin le feiceáil in athbhreithniú breithiúnach cráiteach i ndiaidh athbhreithnú breithniúnach cráiteach eile arb aidhm dóibh toil mhuintir Bhéal Feirste, agus na gcomhairleoirí a thogh siad, a chur ó mhaith. Is minic an DUP ag caint ar airgead poiblí á chur amú ar an Ghaeilge. Cá mhéad airgid phoiblí a chuir siad féin amú agus iad ag tacú le hágóidí dlí gan dealramh? Airgead a d’fhéadfaí a chaitheamh le feabhas a chur ar sheirbhísí nó le tacú le comhphobail.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.

Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.49 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
Criteria met: Identity framing (0.72); Cultural grievance politics (0.96).
The text criticises or condemns the framing or division (0.88).
Subject area: Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy.
The overall probability was low and the text did not adopt any identity-based framing.

This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.

Jev’s structured answers

Probability that each statement is true of this text (0 = no, 1 = yes). A criterion counts as met at 0.60 or above.
Question	Probability	Met?
Identity framing	0.72	Yes
Sectarian or communal antagonism	0.47	No
Cultural grievance politics	0.96	Yes
Dog-whistle messaging	0.44	No
Controversy escalation	0.57	No
Legitimate policy scrutiny	0.49	No
Overall judgement	0.49	Between thresholds

Context and attribution (stance)
Option	Probability
No identity-based framing	0.02
Reports or questions it	0.00
Criticises or condemns it (chosen)	0.88
Adopts it	0.10

Subject area (top five)
Subject	Probability
Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy	1.00
No identity-related subject	0.00
Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials	0.00
Parades, bonfires and commemorations	0.00
Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies	0.00

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:30 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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