Promotion of Irish in North ‘blocked by hostile attitudes’
January 17, 2014
Growth and promotion of the Irish language in Northern Ireland is being blocked by hostile attitudes in Stormont and a lack of support for its use in the courts and in education, according to the Council of Europe.
The body has warned authorities they may also be in breach of a charter of rights because of delays and attempts to block requests for bilingual street names.
The review of minority languages in the UK said the government had not been able to justify banning the use of Irish in the courts or allowing people to take citizenship tests through the language.
The Council of Europe criticised the Assembly’s “persisting hostile climate”.
Minister for Culture Caral Ni Chuilin, said she would bring in legislation during the current Assembly term.
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