Simultaneous Interpretation of Assembly Business in Irish and Ulster Scots

Part of Committee Business – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 5:15 pm on 15 June 2021.

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Photo of Pat Sheehan Pat Sheehan Sinn Féin 5:15, 15 June 2021

It is a universal principle that agreements made should be agreements honoured. The motion is about the implementation of one small part of the New Decade, New Approach agreement, which was clear:

"The Assembly's Standing Orders will ... be amended to allow ... business ... through Irish or Ulster Scots."

The refusal of the DUP to commit to any Irish language provisions is the context for this debate, and it is a cause of huge concern. The refusal of the DUP to honour its time-bound commitment to deliver on commitments, including Irish language legislation, given as part of the New Decade, New Approach deal to restore the institutions can lead only to greater instability in the institutions.

Let us not forget why we needed that deal in the first place. Let us not forget that the institutions collapsed under the weight of the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scandal and of DUP disrespect, typified by the vindictive decision of the aspiring First Minister to cut Líofa funding for disadvantaged children to go to the Gaeltacht and learn Irish.

For three years, we were without a functioning Government until New Decade, New Approach was agreed in January last year after prolonged negotiations between the five Assembly parties and the two Governments. The parties and the two Governments all signed up to the 80 commitments in NDNA to deliver on issues including nurses' pay, hospital waiting lists, the establishment of a medical school and the expansion of Magee university, social housing and, of course, a package on language, culture and identity. New Decade, New Approach committed the parties that formed the Executive to delivering not just on translation services but on the entire language, culture and identity package and to do so within three months of the political institutions being restored.

With the unexpected onset of the global health crisis, the Executive rightly prioritised their response to the fightback and to saving lives and livelihoods. However, we are now out of time. We need to see delivery, not more broken promises and hollow commitments. However, despite our party leadership meeting the leader of the DUP on a number of occasions over recent weeks, he has made it clear that he does not intend to honour his commitments during this mandate. That is not surprising. Unionist opposition to progressive change has always been a feature of our peace process, so it is now necessary for the Governments to deliver equality and rights to citizens. There is no reason why the rights of Irish language speakers cannot be recognised at the same time as waiting lists are dealt with and a new university is created in Derry. We can walk and chew gum. All those issues are dealt with by Governments all over the world: it is what is known as "multitasking".

Society can no longer be held back by the anti-rights faction of one party. This is about delivering an explicit NDNA commitment. The motion gives that commitment, but the amendment departs from it. This is a straight choice for unionism: if you give your word, keep it and honour your commitments. We face instability because we are fed up listening to unionists giving commitments, saying they will honour those commitments and then reneging on them. I support the motion.