Kennedy says DUP hardening of rhetoric on Irish Language Act is Strange and Inconsistent
Commenting on recent hardline DUP comments on the Irish Language Act, UUP Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy said in a statement,
“It is strange to hear the DUP suddenly toughening up their language on the Irish Language Act. It should be remembered that this proposal came out of the blue in St. Andrews and at that time and until now the DUP did not object to it.
The UUP had settled the language issue through the Belfast Agreement. Language was to be 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 DUP, at St Andrews opened all of this up again with an Irish Language Act that gives Irish equality with English and makes it incumbent on the Executive to promote the language.
By tinkering around the Agreement they have created messes that need to be cleaned up. They can suddenly harden their rhetoric on the Irish Language Act but they are being inconsistent as this is a mess of their own creation. My fear is that their belated opposition will be too little too late.”