The British Government is "running out of road" after missing its deadline to introduce Irish language legislation at Wesminster, campaigners have said.
The New Decade New Approach agreement (January 2020) committed parties and governments to implementing Irish language legislation within 100 days.
In June, the Secretary of State Brandon Lewis gave the Stormont Assembly a final deadline of September 2021 to enact the legislation, committing his own government to bringing forward legislation through Westminster by October 2021.
The grassroots Irish Language campaign group, An Dream Dearg said the passing of the October deadline would cause "further ruin" for confidence in the British Government's commitment to delivering language rights.
Meanwhile, the British government has sent a letter to parties announcing its intention introduce Irish language legislation and inviting them to a technical briefing on the proposals. The letter said the legislation would be introduced "as soon as parliamentary time allows".
"The UK Government is now taking forward the balanced package of identity, language and culture legislation that was carefully negotiated in the New Decade, New Approach agreement, as the Northern Ireland Executive has not done so," it reads.
Despite have missed its own October deadline, the British Government has not yet set a date for its Irish language legislation brief.
An Dream Dearg spokesperson, Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh, said the issue of language rights is a "litmus test" of the government's "credibility and political integrity."
"Any attempt to further delay this legislation must be resisted, by Sinn Féin, who brokered this deal with the Secretary of State in June of this year, and also by the cross-party coalition both at Stormont and at Westminster who support the immediate introduction of Irish language legislation," he said.
"The British Government has now run out of road. We now need a definite date for scheduling and implementation of the legislation. There can be no further denial of rights."
Sinn Féin Deputy Leader, Michelle O'Neill said she expects the British Government to bring forward legislation within weeks.
"I’m workin on the basis that there will be an Irish language act, that the that legislation will be published in the coming weeks, and I will hold the British government to that," she stated.
