Irish language strategy delay “outrageous and unacceptable”, say campaigners

Counsel for Conradh na Gaeilge contend the ongoing failure to implement a strategy cannot be justified, and that Mr Lyons is in breach of an obligation to put a strategy in place

An Irish language strategy will not be implemented during the current Stormont Executive’s lifetime, the High Court heard today.

The Department for Communities has confirmed there are no current plans to deliver the long-awaited blueprint before the power-sharing mandate ends next year, a judge was told.

Irish language campaigners Conradh na Gaeilge described the development as “outrageous”.

The group is now pressing for a judicial order compelling Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to put a strategy in place.

Conradh na Gaeilge has been involved in a long-running legal battle over pledges to progress an initiative for the Irish language which dates back to the 2006 St Andrews Agreement.

The High Court has already ruled on two previous occasions that the Stormont administration is in breach of an obligation to adopt a blueprint.

The continued failure contravenes the 1998 Northern Ireland Act, successive judges held.

Amid an ongoing alleged violation of that legal duty, the language campaigners issued fresh judicial review proceedings against both the Executive and the Communities Minister.

Counsel for Conradh na Gaeilge contend the ongoing failure to implement a strategy cannot be justified, and that Mr Lyons is in breach of an obligation to put a strategy in place.

In court today, Karen Quinlivan KC urged the judge to ensure no further delay in determining the merits of their case.

She revealed that a senior official within the Department has submitted a further affidavit about the prospects of delivering on the initiative.

“(He) has now acknowledged there will be no Irish language strategy within the lifetime of this Executive, in other words before it falls next year,” the barrister said.

Ms Quinlivan added: “We have two High Court judgments which say delaying for a year is too long.

“But here is an Executive Committee saying to the court ‘we have these judgments against us, so what? It doesn’t make any difference, we will not produce an Irish language strategy within the lifetime of this Executive’.”

During further preliminary submissions, the debate centred on using some of the same evidence for separate legal action by loyalist activist Jamie Bryson to the planned installation of Irish language signs at Belfast’s Grand Central Station.

Mr Bryson, who is intervening in Conradh na Gaeilge’s challenge, insisted the campaigners should not be allowed to deploy that evidence in his case.

He likened it to him disclosing documents on BBC presenter Stephen Nolan’s radio show in a bid to pressurise ministers into advancing his own political agenda.

“What we would then have is chaos in government policy,” he submitted,

“The Irish language strategy is not agreed by the Executive, or agreed to go out for consultation.

“But if (Conradh na Gaeilge) is correct I could simply present it live to the Nolan Show to the world at large and undermine that government policy making.”

As proceedings were adjourned, the language campaigners expressed dismay at learning no strategy will be adopted during the current Assembly mandate.

Dr Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh, from Conradh na Gaeilge, said outside court: “The current Minister, Gordon Lyons, has had well over two years to finalise a draft that was started in 2020, and now tells us there is no possibility of that work concluding by May 2027.

“That is both outrageous and unacceptable and another illustration of the contempt that has been shown to both the Irish language and indeed previous High Court rulings on this matter.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.