DUP cannot be teflon coated from criticism on glaring mistake with Irish Language Act says McGimpsey
Ulster Unionist MLA and former Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister Michael McGimpsey today outlined the UUP’s concerns at the provisions made for the Irish language in the St Andrews Agreement.
In a statement Mr McGimpsey said,
According to the St Andrews Agreement that Dr Paisley has given his backing to, the Government will introduce an Irish Language Act based on the experience of Wales and the Republic of Ireland. It will be a Westminster Act. In other words it is to be a diktat. If it is passed in Westminster it would be impossible to alter it as a cross-community vote would be required in the Assembly.
In Ireland the Irish language has primacy first. In Wales the Welsh language has equality. The Scottish model is aspirational: where it is considered appropriate the language can flourish.
With regards to the Welsh Act: It is mandatory upon public bodies to recognise Welsh if notified to do so. The act then defines what it means by a public body – this includes Councils, Boards, Public Authorities, the Fire Brigade, Health Authorities and most importantly Boards of Schools.
Each notified public body has to draw up a scheme for the promotion and enhancement of welsh. The costs of this are enormous.
The UUP had settled the language issue through the Belfast Agreement. Language is currently carried through the North/South language body which comprises of the Board of Ulster Scots and the Irish Bord na Gaelige. In this set up we had an Ulster Unionist Minister having a veto over all business. This was truly accountable.
The DUPs ‘tough negotiators’ have now opened all of this up again with an Irish Language Act contained within the St. Andrews Agreement that gives Irish equality with English. They may not like criticism but they cannot be Teflon coated from their glaring mistakes.
Like the all-island economy study which appeared yesterday there are lessons to be learned for the DUP. They may well believe that they have a ‘fair deal’ but the more we look at St. Andrews the more the DUPs tinkering around the Agreement has created messes that need to be cleaned up.”